EASTERN SONG SPARROW 1499 



of the remiges. The renewal of five or six outer primaries occurs in 

 nearly all young birds of this species and is very likely characteristic 

 of the first brood. * * * The secondaries are rarely found in moult, 

 the tertiaries, alulae and wing coverts regularly so. * * * [Oc- 

 casionally] the renewal of primaries, secondaries and even of rectrices, 

 might easily be overlooked as the new feathers are nearly of the 

 same pattern and color as the old and not in contrast * * *." 



In appearance, the first winter plumage is like the previous one, 

 "but is whiter below and richer in chestnut streakings both above and 

 below. The lateral crown stripes are distinct with black streaks, 

 the median and superciliary stripes distinctly olive-gray. Below, 

 white washed with pale vinaceous cinnamon on sides of head, across 

 jugulum and on sides, and streaked, except on chin and mid-abdomen, 

 with clove-brown bordered with chestnut, the streaks becoming con- 

 fluent at sides of chin and on mid-throat forming three nearly black 

 spots. Old and young become absolutely indistinguishable in most 

 cases, young birds with the wing edgings perhaps a trifle duller and 

 with a yellowish tinge." In this plumage females are "apt to be more 

 washed with brown or to have a yellowish cast when compared with 

 males" in the same plumage. 



The first nuptial plumage is acquired, according to Dwight, by 

 wear, which is marked; "by the end of the breeding season the birds 

 are in tatters. The buff is lost and the streaking below comes out in 

 strong contrast on a white ground." 



The adult winter plumage is "acquired by a complete postnuptial 

 moult beginning usually about the middle of August and completed 

 before the end of September. Old and young cannot be told apart 

 with any certainty, adults however with wing edgings that may 

 perhaps average darker and browner and the throat markings blacker." 



The adult nuptial plumage is "acquired by wear as in the young 

 birds with the same results." 



The following description of the adult plumage is by Robert Ridg- 

 way (1901): 



Adults, (sexes alike): — Pileum brown (mummy brown to almost burnt umber), 

 narrowly streaked with black and divided by a narrow median stripe of gray, 

 this also narrowly streaked with black; hindneck brownish gray, more or less 

 streaked or washed with brown; scapulars and interscapulars black medially, 

 producing streaks of greater or less width, these margined laterally with brown 

 (like the color of the pileum), the edges of the rectrices, more or loss broadly, 

 brownish gray; rump olive-grayish, more or less streaked with brown (some- 

 times with blackish also) ; upper tail-coverts browner than rump and more dis- 

 tinctly streaked; tail brown (broccoli brown to russet brown), the middle pair of 

 rectrices with a narrower median stripe of dusky brown, the inner webs of the 

 other rectrices darker brown than outer webs; lesser wing-coverts brown; middle 

 coverts brown, margined terminally with pale brownish gray, and marked with 

 a more or less distinct median streak or spot of dusky; greater coverts brown, 



