38 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



right-side-up. * * * The last three nestlings which left the nest in 

 the forenoon of June 21, were not less than 7 nor more than 8% days 

 old when they left." 



Plumages. — The striking plumage changes of the male bobolink 

 are well, and I believe correctly, described by Jonathan Dwight, Jr. 

 (1900), one of the best authorities on the plummages of passerine birds. 

 He calls the natal down buff, and describes the juvenal plumage as fol- 

 lows: "Above, dull brownish black, median crown stripe, superciliary 

 line, nuchal band and edgings of the other feathers of back and wings 

 buff deepest on nape; primaries, their coverts, secondaries and alulae 

 tipped with grayish white. Below, rich buff paler on chin and faintly 

 flecked on sides of throat with clove-brown. A dusky postocular 

 streak. * * * This plumage is worn but a short time and the post- 

 juvenal moult is well advanced by the end of July as shown by four 

 specimens in my collection." 



The first winter plumage is "acquired by a partial postjuvenal moult 

 in July which involves the body plumage, tertiaries and wing coverts, 

 but not the rest of the wings nor the tail." This is "similar to the 

 previous plumage, but darker above and yellower below, a rich ochre 

 or maize-yellow prevailing, paler on chin and abdomen, the sides of 

 the breast and flanks and under tail coverts conspicuously streaked 

 with dull black veiled by the overlapping feather edges." 



The first nuptial plumage is acquired by a complete prenuptial molt. 

 Dr. Dwight describes this plumage as "almost wholly black, the body 

 plumage veiled by long maize-yellow feather tips. The nape is rich 

 ochre and the scapulars white, the inner plumbeous, both edged with 

 olive-gray. The outer primary is edged with white, the two adjacent 

 with maize-yellow, the tertiaries, greater coverts and interscapularies 

 with wood-brown. Rump plumbeous, upper tail coverts white, both 

 areas veiled with olive-gray or olive-buff. Tail tipped with olive-gray." 



This is the plumage in which the birds arrive in the United States, 

 and in many cases the maize yellow tips have not entirely worn away 

 by the time that the birds reach their breeding grounds, the tips per- 

 sisting longest on the abdomen, flanks, and under tail coverts. 



The adult winter plumage is acquired "by a complete postnuptial 

 molt beginning the end of July. Similar to first winter plumage, 

 usually whiter below especially on the chin and middle of the abdo- 

 men, and above with rich-brown edgings expecially of the tertiaries. 

 The bill becomes clay colored or purplish [it was black in the spring]. 

 The chief differential character is however the presence of a few black 

 feathers, usually yellow tipped, irregularly scattered on the chin and 

 breast." 



The adult nuptial plumage is "acquired by a complete prenuptial 

 moult in midwinter. Differs inappreciably from first nuptial dress, 



