12 2 Chapman. Changes of Plumage in the Bobolink. [April 



the buff" then appearing as a terminal and slightly lateral border. 

 This plumage then, while more nearly like that of the young 

 bird, is in a measure intermediate between it and the breeding 

 male, and we can readily understand how an examination of this 

 plumage alone would easily mislead one into supposing the bird 

 was acquiring the black male dress by a change of pigment in 

 the feathers, to be followed by a wearing away of their exposed 

 yellowish borders. 



Our interest now centres in an adult male specimen, No. 

 32,783 of the American Museum collection, taken March 1, 

 1SS6, by H. H. Smith at Corumbil in southwestern Brazil. This 

 bird is undergoing a complete moult, but has nearly acquired a 

 new plumage, its exact condition being as follows: Above, the 

 tertials, four secondaries, the first primary and alula of either 

 wing belong to the old plumage, the balance is entirely new, but 

 the scapulars, some of the wing feathers, and the tail have not 

 completed their growth. The plumage of the under surface is 

 more nearly complete, the old feathers being confined to the sides 

 of the throat, abdomen, and flanks ; in its dorsal plumage this 

 bird bears a striking resemblance to the adult fall male before 

 described. The crown lacks a median line, but the feathers have . 

 an even wider border of brown which, however, is now strictly 

 terminal. The feathers of the nuchal band are without black 

 shaft streaks and the exposed portions are of a deep rusty brown 

 color, fading gradually to a white base; the interscapulars are 

 black with an almost complete border of brownish yellow, similar, 

 therefore, to those of the fall bird, but the black is deeper and of 

 greater extent ; the scapulars which have appeared are white for 

 their basal three fourths, with the terminal portion brownish yel- 

 low or olivaceous-brown ; the wings and coverts, referring now 

 to the new plumage, are similar to those of the adult spring male 

 but the feathers have wider ami darker borders; the lower back 

 is in poor condition, but apparently resembles that of the breeding 

 bird ; the feathers of the rump resemble the scapulars already 

 mentioned; the tail, so far as it has appeared, agrees with that of 

 the spring male. Below, the bird's plumage is most interesting ; 

 its general appearance maybe described as black, heavily veiled 

 with yellow, — all the feathers having a long terminal fringe of 

 this • color, which in no instance descends to the side of the 

 feather. On the feathers of the breast this fringe averages in 



