142 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 tart i 



constantly in territorial warning. The inconspicuous female is easy 

 to overlook. 



The incubation period is usually 11 days, but sometimes 12, The 

 fledging period lasts from 12 to 14 days. The male is not recorded 

 as taking any part in feeding the young while they are in the nest, 

 but he occasionally feeds them after they have left it- 



Eggs. — The painted bunting usually lays three or four eggs; occa- 

 sionally sets of five eggs are found. In shape they vary from ovate 

 to short-ovate. They have a slight gloss and the ground is grayish- 

 white or very pale bluish-white. The markings, in the form of 

 speckles or fine spots, are in shades of brown such as "chestnut," 

 "chesnut brown," "Mars brown," "pecan brown," or "russet brown," 

 with undertones of "pale mouse gray," and "pale Quaker drab." 

 The spotting is generally concentrated toward the large end where 

 often a ring is formed, although some eggs are fairly well covered 

 with very fine specks. The measurements of 50 eggs average 18.9 

 by 14.5 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 

 21.3 by 15.2, 17.8 by 13.7 and 18.0 by 13.2 millimeters. 



Plumages. — The literature contains many direct contradictions 

 on the nonpareil's plumage development. Wilson stated that "On 

 the fourth and fifth season, the bird has attained his complete colors." 

 Audubon took exception to this statement and maintained that full 

 plumage was attained at the "second season." Actually some males 

 do not attain their full breeding plumage until their third year. 



In first faU plumage the young male resembles the female. The 

 next spring it is still much like the female, but blue feathers begin to 

 appear on the head and by the following year practically full plumage 

 is attained. The patchy appearance of some birds in that interim is 

 remarkable. Wayne (1910) collected a male that had the throat, 

 jugulum, and eye ring bright yellow instead of red. 



D wight (1900) states the ju venal plumage is acquired by a complete 

 postnatal molt. Both sexes are then olive-brown above and the wings 

 are dull clove-brown with sage-green edgings, brownish on the coverts. 

 The tail is dull olive-green. Underparts are pale grayish drab washed 

 with buff, most marked posteriorly. The orbital ring is pale buff. 

 The bill is umber-brown with the upper mandible darker. In dried 

 specimens the feet are dark sepia. 



The first winter plumage is acquired by a post-juvenal molt which 

 seems to be complete, one specimen from South Carolina taken Octo- 

 ber 13 being in this dress. The birds are now bright olive-green or 

 oU-green above, and the wings and tail have become darker than in the 

 Juvenal plumage. The coverts are wholly oil-green and the remiges 

 and rectrices are edged with a slightly paler shade. Underparts are 

 olive-yellow, becoming maize-yellow posteriorly and dull lemon 



