THE AUK: 



A QJU ARTERLY JOURNAL OF 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



VOL. XIV. April, 1897. no. 2. 



THE SPRING PLUMAGE OF THE BOBOLINK, WITH 



REMARKS ON 'COLOR-CHANGE' AND 



' MOULTING.' 1 



RY ARTHUR P. CHADBOURNE, M. D. 



Plate la. 



In a recent note 'On the Spring Plumage of the Bobolink'^ 

 Dr. Allen has apparently overlooked a record (Skillen, Auk, XI, 

 1894, p. 180), which shows that the change to breeding dress is 

 not always accompanied by an increased feather-loss, nor in this 

 case at least was new feather-growth evident. In short there 

 seems to have been not even a ' partial moult,' ^ and hence the 

 individual feathers must have changed in color. 



My own experience with captive Bobolinks confirms the above 

 statement ; but unfortunately of three Bobolinks kept during the 

 winter of 1894-5, only one proved to be a male, while six males 



' Read before the Nuttall Ornithological Club, May 17, 1896. 



^ Bull. American Museum Nat. Hist., VIII (March 18, 1896), pp. 43, 44. 



^ In the present paper the word ' moult 'is to be understood as meaning that 

 during or about the time of the renewal of the plumage, there is an increased 

 shedding of the feathers, an evident growth of ' pin-feathers,' or both com- 

 bined ; Ijul it ins ['lies nothiiii:; Its to feallier-color ami color-cJiange. 

 iS 



