1130 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part z 



humeral, alar, and crural tracts. The down disappears rapidly after 

 the 2nd day, and on the 4th day the first feather sheaths of the juvenal 

 plumage are visible on the dorsal region, with the primary sheaths 

 showing the most growth. 



"The eyes do not open untU the 3rd day, and do not seem to be 

 really functional until the 4th or 5th day. The irises of the juvenals 

 remained a dark brown as long as I was able to observe them. 



"By the 6 th day the tips of the feather sheaths break and the 

 feathers begin to appear. The nestlings feather out rapidly during 

 the next 2 days. On the 10 th day they begin to leave the nest. 

 At this time they are unable to fly and barely able to flutter about. 

 When I approached, the female gave an alarm call that attracted 

 the male; then she hopped a few inches from the young with food 

 in her bill and as the fledgling fluttered toward her, she hopped 

 backward to lead it away from me." 



Plumages. — R. E.. Graber (1955) describes the juvenal plumage of 

 Junco phaeonotus phaeonotiLS, which differs from that oi J. p. palliatus 

 only in being slightly darker throughout the upperparts, as follows: 



"Forehead, crown, and nape gray, finely streaked with black. 

 Back rusty red, streaked with black. Scapulars gray or buffy gray, 

 streaked with black. Rump and upper tail coverts buffy gray, 

 obscurely streaked with dark. Rectrices black, except outer two 

 pairs largely white. Remiges black; primaries edged with white, 

 tertials broadly edged with burnt sienna (rusty red). Lesser and 

 median coverts gray, narrowly edged with buff. Greater coverts 

 edged with chestnut, tipped with buff (narrowly). No wing bar 

 pattern. Lores black. Black feathers nearly circumscribe eye 

 (in a patch). Auriculars gray, obscurely streaked with dark. Chin 

 and throat white flecked with black (especially on sides). Chest, 

 sides, and flanks streaked with black (triangular marks pointing 

 anteriorly). Underparts largely white, sides and flanks tinged with 

 buffy. Belly and crissum largely unmarked. Leg feathers gray, 

 edged white." 



Graber comments that the tertial edgings are much more rusty red 

 than in J. caniceps dorsalis, which has the tertials edged gray. 



Swarth (1904) states: 



About the middle of June the young birds in the spotted plumage begin to appear, 

 and all through July they are quite numerous, often two or more broods running 

 together, accompained by the various parents. The young birds are at this 

 time heavily streaked above and below, though less on the throat and adbomen 

 than elsewhere * * * and, as the soft juvenile plumage wears away very rapidly, 

 those birds which have nearly attained their full size have these markings much 

 more faintly indicated than those which have just left the nest. * * * As the 

 bird becomes older the iris gets paler, changing from brown to whitish, then to 

 pale yellow, and finally, about the time the juvenile plumage is shed, to the 



