Notes on the Plumage of North American Sparrows 219 



marked seasonal variations in plumage. The juvenal plumage is essentially 

 like that of the adult but the brown cap is not evident, the buffy throat not 

 so pronounced, and the underparts are streaked with dusky. The post-juvenal 

 molt appears to resemble that of the other brown Towhees, that is, the body 

 plumage, tail, inner wing-quills, and all but the primary wing-coverts, are 

 replaced by the feathers of the first winter plumage, which resembles the 

 winter plumage of the adult. 



There is apparently no spring molt, and the differences between summer 

 and winter plumage are due to wear and fading, which do not materially 

 alter the color of the plumage. 



The San Lucas Towhee {Pipilo fuscus albigula) is a smaller, darker race 

 with a white throat, which inhabits the Cape Region of Lower California 

 north to latitude 29°. 



California Towhee {Pipilo crissalis crissalis, Fig. 3).— This species 

 differs from the Canon Towhee in its deeper, richer coloration, which is par- 

 ticularly pronounced on the throat and under tail-coverts. The sexes are 

 alike, and the young bird in juvenal plumage resembles in general coloration 

 the adult, but lacks the brown cap, the throat is not so deeply colored, and 

 the underparts are streaked with dusky. There are practically no seasonal 

 changes in color, and the plumage-changes appear to resemble those of the 

 Canon Towhee. 



Anthony's Towhee {Pipilo crissalis senicula), a smaller form, with darker 

 upperparts and less ochraceous on the underparts, ranges, according to the 

 A. 0. U. 'Check-List,' from "Southern California south of the San Bernardino 

 Mountains, and on the Pacific side of Lower California south at least to lati- 

 tude 29°." 



Abert's Towhee {Pipilo abcrii, Fig. 4). — In this species the sexes are 

 alike, and there are but slight variations in plumage due to age or season. The 

 juvenal plumage, while showing the usual difference in texture from that of 

 subsequent plumages, is of the same general tone as that worn by the adult, 

 but the underparts are paler and are faintly streaked with dusky. 



The postjuvenal molt appears to include all the body feathers, the tail 

 and the inner wing-feathers, and in the resulting first-winter plumage the 

 bird resembles the adult, with pink-tinged breast and blackish about the 

 face. There appears to be no spring molt, and breeding specimens wear a 

 very ragged plumage, which, aside from being slightly paler, does not differ in 

 color from that of winter. 



