MOLT AND RENIvWAL. 



The single annual molt, which is complete, occurs directl}' 

 after the breeding season in the manner described b}' Prof. 

 Ivynds Jones for this paper : The molt of our common Flicker, 

 as illustrated by four specimens, follows the general law of our 

 smaller land birds, with the differences peculiar to the Pici. 

 In these four specimens there are exhibited some individual 

 peculiarities of no importance except as illustrating the princi- 

 ple stated by Witmer Stone, in his admirable paper on the 

 molting of birds, that there are likel}' to be individual pecul- 

 iarities of molt within the species. It is well known that 

 among the Woodpeckers, who.se tail is used as a support in 

 clinging to perpendicular .surfaces, that the middle pair of tail 

 feathers are the last to be lo.st, and that they are retained until 

 the next pair has grown to a functional length. Apparently 

 the middle feathers, rather than the outer ones, are retained 

 because they are the strongest and are therefore the best able 

 to .sustain the weight of the body unaided by the others. Of 

 the four specimens, two are males and two females. I am 

 unable to decide whether they are birds of the year or old 

 ones. There is no apparent difference in the process of molting 

 of the sexes. In common with mo.st other .small land birds, 

 the Flicker first molts the middle row of the abdominal tracts, 

 followed almo.st immediately by the innermost — the 10th — 

 primary and the outermost greater wing-covert. The 9th pri- 

 mary is next shed, and with it the middle row of the pectoral 

 tracts, the two rows next the middle row of the dorsal tract, 

 the middle of the humeral tract and the lower row of the 

 femoral tract. Next the 8th primary, throat, sides of crown 

 and scattering feathers on the thighs. At this .stage the re- 

 gions of fir.st molt are beginning to show new feathers and the 

 molt of the contour feathers has spread somewhat in all di- 

 rections. With the 7th primary the next to the middle pair of 

 tail feathers, the whole head except the middle of the crown. 



