376 Dwicut, Moult of North American Shore Birds. an 
apices of the remiges. This stage is characterized by the olive- 
green upper surface, the feathers of the back especially being 
edged with buff and having a subterminal bar of dull black, those 
of the wing-coverts with a second indistinct bar. Below, pure 
white prevails, with gray on the sides of the throat. 
The growth of this plumage may be traced during July and 
early August, males and females being indistinguishable. One 
of my birds (J. D. Jr., No. 4123, July 7, Quebec) shows remiges 
about two thirds grown, the rectrices about one third and with 
the down still attached, which also adheres to new feathers of 
the crown, back, and sides of breast; on the forehead, sides of 
head, the nape, throat and mid-abdomen the down has not yet 
been displaced. Another (J. D. Jr., No. 6437, August 5, Nova 
Scotia) with grown but pulpy outer primaries, is so advanced 
that down only remains on the chin, the bird being fully feathered. 
Another (J. D. Jr., No. 6812, July 15, New York) is still’more 
advanced, with few traces of immaturity. 
As adults at their postnuptial moult assume a dress scarcely 
distinguishable from this, I can only point out some differences 
that unfortunately do not hold in all cases. especially in females. 
Young birds are practically without dusky shaft-lines on the 
feathers of the throat, the barring of the back and wing-coverts is 
duller, the tertiaries lack the dusky blotches of the adult and the 
outer pairs of rectrices are less distinctly white and blotched more 
irregularly with duller black. 
In both young and adults, wear soon begins to change the 
appearance of this dress, which is usually called the autumnal 
plumage. Not only do the buff edgings fade, but the feather 
tips break away until even the subterminal barring is lost, except 
on the wing-coverts where the second bar is retained late into the 
winter. August specimens, from the Atlantic coast as well as 
from Arizona, show gradual loss of the edgings. Two specimens 
in my collection (J. D. Jr., No. 6814, September 5, New York 
and No. 6695, September 1, Quebec) still retain most of the buff 
edgings, although much faded, while two others (J. D. Jr., No. 
386, August 26, Connecticut, and No. 6816, September 18, New 
York) have almost completely lost even the dusky bars. The 
southern range while in this plumage is shown by a somewhat 
