CLAY-COLORED SPARROW 1199 



birds iindergoing such a molt showed wear in the unmolted wdng and 

 tail feathers. 



Binford adds: "A second and larger group of birds (11 specimens), 

 taken at approximately the same time of year (spring) as the five 

 molting birds discussed previously, shows no apparent molt. An 

 apparent tendency in some individuals to retain some juvenile feathers 

 into the spring is shown by one male, which has a few dark immature 

 streaks on the flanks. All 11 specimens have moderately worn body 

 plumage and tail feathers. A comparison of the three spring series 

 (nonmolting males, nonmolting females, and molting birds) shows that 

 those molting tend to have a greater amount of rufous edging on wing, 

 back, and crown feathers, and ear coverts; also whiter supercilliaries. 

 This greater degree of rufous gives the sides of the crown a darker 

 color and sets off the light median crown stripe." 



Allan R. Phillips WTites me that two birds from South Dakota, 

 May 16, 1933, show fresh body plumage and tertials, and the tail 

 varies; the female has replaced only one central rectrix, the male all 

 the tail except the outer two pairs of rectrices. "To what extent, if 

 any, accidents affected these replacements," he says, "I do not know, 

 but the asymmetry of the female is suspicious." 



T. S. Roberts (1932) states that a partial spring molt and wear 

 produce the fu-st nuptial plumage, which is like the adult except for 

 the rufous A\'ings. These are retained until the first postnuptial 

 molt. 



The folloAving records shed some light on spring molt dates. G. M. 

 Sutton (MS.) reports a female molting heavily about the head shot 

 near Arnett, Okla., May 15, 1936. The late George O. Hendrickson 

 wrote me of an adult male in full breeding plumage on May 14, 1931, 

 and a young male not yet in full nuptial plumage on May 11, 1931. 



G. C. Kuyava has sent me the following average weights in grams 

 of birds at Duluth, Minn., the adidts sexed by examination of the 

 cloacal protuberance: seven males. May 10-June 17, 1959, 11.55 

 (9.80-12.50); four females. May 13-June 6, 1959, 12.83 (10.80-14.50); 

 six juveniles, Jidy 26-August 16, 1958, 11.16 (9.51-12.76). L. H. 

 Walkinshaw (1944a) gives the weights in grams of six adult nesting 

 females at Lovells, Mich., as 11.8 (10.7-12.7). A male at Fawcett, 

 Alberta, weighed 12.8 grams on May 20, 1942. 



Food. — Most of the food of the clay-colored sparrow is vegetable 

 matter, including a wide variety of seeds. Mrs. H. L. Williams 

 AVTites from Midland, Texas, and lists the follo^ving: seeds of sweet 

 alyssum, Alyssum sp., and cockscomb, Celosia sp.; tumbleweed, 

 Salsola kali; Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon; gamagrass, Bouielous 

 sp.; fingergrass, Chloris sp.; bladder-pod, Lesquerella gracilis; pepper 

 grass, Lepidium alyssoides; mustard, Sophia sp.; leaf buds of soap- 

 berry, Sapindus saponaria; and mesquite, Prosopis julijlora. Stuart 



