432 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



that I take to be adult (bearing dates of January 14, 15, and Feb- 

 ruary 10 respectively), on the other hand, might easily be transformed 

 into the usual spring plumage by wear and by the replacing of the 

 yellow auriculars with orange brown — a transformation whose comple- 

 tion is illustrated by a bird in high plumage taken on Andros April 12. 

 The same remarks apply to the series of females, except that there is 

 one specimen from Andros, April 17, showing a few new feathers coming 

 in on the chin. A great deal of individual variation is manifest in 

 this species, affecting the general intensity of coloration, extent of 

 white on the rectrices and wing-coverts, etc. There is one female in 

 the present series (Watlings Island, March 26) which is almost as 

 bright as some of the immature males. 

 61. Dendroica petechia flaviceps Chapman. 



Thirteen specimens: Great Inagua (Alfred Sound, Mathewtown); 

 Watlings Island; Andros (Staniard Creek). 



The present series comprises nine males and four females. Of the 

 former there are two specimens, from Alfred Sound and Staniard 

 Creek respectively, which differ from the others in their grayish 

 scapulars and worn rectrices, primaries, and secondaries. The 

 edgings of the two latter are narrower, duller, and more grayish than 

 ordinarily, contrasting conspicuously with those of the bright and 

 fresh tertials. Turning now to the females (all from Alfred Sound) 

 we find a precisely similar variation and an even more accentuated 

 difference, the two most worn specimens being the most grayish above 

 and with the most white beneath. One specimen (No. 30750) is 

 olive grayish above, with irregular patches of fresh brownish yellow 

 feathers; below saffron yellow, the sides more grayish, with patches 

 of brighter yellow; the remiges brownish, narrowly edged with olive 

 grayish like the back, except the tertials and two of the secondaries 

 on one wing, which are edged with bright olive green. The other dull 

 female (No. 30779) is dull yellowish olive green above, the hindneck 

 tinged with grayish; below, from the breast down, extensively whitish; 

 the tertials, some of the secondaries and most of their coverts are 

 fresh and edged with olive green. Although I hesitate to differ from 

 so distinguished an authority as Mr. Ridgway, who moreover has 

 had the advantage of a far greater amount of material for study in 

 this connection, I feel convinced that the specimens above described 

 point to a conclusion opposite to that he has reached respecting the 

 significance of this plumage {cf. Birds of North and Middle America, 



