682 U-S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 37 part 2 



the Juvenal plumage of P. s. savanna as follows: "Forehead and 

 crown profusely streaked golden brown, buff and black. Median 

 stripe of buffy yeUow, sometimes obscure, and light superciliaries. 

 Nape similar to crown but black streaking much reduced. Back 

 streaked black (heavily), and shades of golden broAvn and buffy yellow. 

 Rump buffy or buffy brown streaked with black. Upper tail coverts 

 dark brown, broadly edged with buffy brown. Remiges black, 

 outer primary edged white. Other remiges edged with rusty brown. 

 Tertials broadly so, except uppermost which is edged with buffy 

 white. Coverts black, lessers and medians edged with buffy white. 

 Greaters edged with rust and tipped with buffy white (definite wing 

 bars). Lores buffy, anterior end of supercihary yellow. Super- 

 cihary whitish streaked with black. Eye-ring white or buffy white. 

 Aiu-iculars buff or sandy, partially margined in black. Post-auriculars 

 white streaked with black. Sub-auriculars buffy yellow (cheek 

 patch about auriculars). Underparts buffy yellow, marked with 

 black 'mustaches.' Jugulum, chest, sides, and flanks streaked with 

 black or dark brown. Buffy yellow darkest on chest, lightest on 

 belly (white in worn specimens). Crissum whitish or buffy yellow." 



While working with several species of ju venal sparrows in Michigan, 

 Sutton (1935) discovered what appears to be two color phases in the 

 Juvenal plumage of the Savannah sparrow. This first came to his 

 attention when he collected two strikingly different juvenile Savan- 

 nahs. He later brought together a small series of juvenal-plumaged 

 specimens which bore out his original observation. And he stated: 

 "It is my present opinion that the Savannah Sparrow's ju venal 

 plumage has two color phases, one with dull, gray-brown tones pre- 

 dominating, the other with much brighter, yellowish buffy and red- 

 brown tones. Whether the differences * * * are entirely a matter 

 of color-phase I cannot say, but I cannot help feeling that they demand 

 explanation beyond that of mere individual variation; and I feel 

 furthermore, that some mention should be made of these two plumage- 

 phases in any really adequate treatment of the species." 



The first winter plumage is acquired by a partial post-juvenal 

 molt which is initiated shortly after the juvenal plumage is ac- 

 quired; possibly even before the "full" juvenal plumage is acquired 

 (Sutton, 1935). Therefore, this incomplete molt involving only 

 the body plumage and some of the wing coverts may begin as early 

 as July and be completed in early September. Sutton (1935) re- 

 gards the molting process as particularly rapid. 



Peters and Griscom (1938) describe savanna as being a medium- 

 sized, brown Savannah sparrow with a relatively stout bill. Similar 

 to oblitus but browner throughout, the brown and buff elements 

 strongly developed. Norris and Hight (1957) characterize savanna 



