12. HEDYMELES. 



61 



streaks on the breast and throat gradually disappear as the red 

 colour spreads upwards, and the adult plumage appears to be gained 

 by a change of feather and not by any moult. As the black spreads 

 on the upper surface the streaks disappear, and at last the ochreous- 

 brown colour, which is characteristic of the young bird, remains 

 only in the shape of edgings to the mantle, back, and scapulars ; 

 the white rump remains much mottled with black tips to the 

 feathers, which often obscure the whole of it. 



In the British Museum series, large as it is, there is no specimen 

 which proves to my satisfaction that the old male goes through 

 a complete winter plumage. If it does so, it must entirely lose 

 the black head and black throat. Apparently the wing-coverts 

 and quills are renewed in the spring by a moult ; but whether this 

 is the case with the young birds only in their first spring, or with 

 old birds as well, I have been unable to determine. 



A specimen from Ecuador in the Salvin-Godman collection shows 

 that the black dorsal plumage is assumed by a direct moult, as 

 well as the black throat. The question is whether both old and 

 young birds gain their summer dress by a moult or by a change of 

 feather. 



Hob. Canada and Eastern United States to plains of Missouri 

 River ; Texas ; throughout Central America to Colombia and 

 Ecuador ; Cozumel ; Cuba ; Jamaica. 



a, b. cJ $ ad. st. 

 c, d. <$ § ad. sk. 

 e. $ ad. sk. 



f,ff-<3 2 ad. 



sk. 

 h. J ad. ; 



i. $ juv. sk. 

 h. § ad. sk. 



I. 6 2 ad. sk. 

 m. Juv. sk. 



n. 2 ad. sk. 



o. 2 ad. sk. 



p. 2 ad. sk. 

 q. <$ ad. sk. 



r. 6 ad. sk. 



s. c? imm. sk. 



t. c? imm. sk. 



u. <S imm. st. 

 v. c? ad. sk. 



North America. 

 Arctic America. 

 Pembina, Dakota, June 2 (Dr. 



E. Cones; Sm. no. 63947). 

 Fort Dufferin, Manitoba, June 



(G. Dawson). 

 Lake of Woods, July (G. Daw- 

 son). 

 Poughkeepsie, New York {Dr. 



Shufeldt ; Sm. no. 88076). 

 Albany, New York (J. Hurst). 

 Cooperstown, New Jersey, Sept. 



1 (G. S. Allen; Sm. no.*76353). 

 Englewood, Illinois (E. W. 



Nelson). 

 Hyde Park, Illinois, May 16, 



1883 {H. K. Coale). 

 Michigan. 

 St. Louis, Missouri, May 15 



(TV. S. Wood; Sm. no. 7017). 

 Knox Co., Indiana, May 6 



(R. Ridgway ; Sm. no. 82247). 

 Knox Co., May 4 (R. Ridgway ; 



Sm. no. 82245). 

 Tonala (Chiapas), Mexico, Mar 3. 



(F. Sumichrast). 

 Mexico. 

 Northern Yucatan (G. F. 



Gammer). 



Purchased. 



Sir George Back [P.]. 



Salvin-Godman Coll. 



N. A. Boundary Com- 

 mission [P.]. 



N. A. Boundary Com- 

 mission [P.]. 



U. S. Nat. Museum. 



Sckter Coll. 

 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



H.K. Coale, Esq. [P.]. 



R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



PP.]. 

 Prof. J.B.Steere[P.]. 

 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



U. S. Nat. Museum 



FO- 

 IL S. Nat. Museum 



Salvin-Godman Coll. 



Purchased. 

 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



