V ?So XI ] Palmer, Plumages of the Hooded Warbler. 2 S3 



publication was delayed, so that I have now before me a series of 

 twenty-six specimens, illustrating the young of the year after 

 leaving the nest, and all collected in Hanover and King William 

 Counties, Virginia, besides a large series of adults from the same 

 and other localities. 



I quote below various statements that I have found in the 

 literature of the species, having italicized the parts which differ 

 from the facts as illustrated in my specimens. 



Professor Baird, in the Pacific R. R. Report (Vol. IX, p. 292), 

 says : "An immature male differs from that described above by 

 having the black of the head restricted to a margin of the yellow 

 on the top and sides, and a faint indication of the same on 

 the throat." 



In the Hist. N. Am. Birds (p. 314) he also says: "A young 

 male in second year (2245, Carlisle, Penn., May) is similar to 

 the female, but the hood is sharply defined anteriorly, though 

 only bordered with black, the olive-green reaching forward 

 almost to the yellow ; there are very slight indications of black 

 on the throat. Apparently the male of this species does not attain 

 the full plumage until the third year." 



Dr. J. M. Wheaton (Report on the Birds of Ohio, 1882, 

 p. 279) describes a young ?nale taken at Columbus, Ohio, 

 August 25, 1S74, as follows: "Above, yellow-olive, concealed 

 yellow from bill to eyes ; feathers of crown and occiput with dark 

 plumbeous bases and centers, some of the feathers of sides of 

 crown with scarcely concealed black tips, line from bill 

 over and around eye bright lemon yellow, separated from the 

 uniform yellow of throat, breast, and abdomen, by dusky lores 

 and olive-yellow auriculars ; under tail coverts very light yellow. 

 Tail spots as in the adult. Bill very pale, dusky shaded." 



This description agrees in some respects with Professor Baird's 

 specimen mentioned above, obtained by him at Carlisle, Pa., 

 May 7, 1S45, and labeled as a male by the collector. I have no 

 hesitation whatever in calling Dr. Wheaton's bird a young female of 

 the year, and Professor Baird's specimen a female at least two 

 years old : the error of sexing having been caused by the fact that 

 the supra -renal capsules were mistaken for testes. Unfortunately 

 this error is only too easily possible when birds are left for some 

 time before skinning or when injured internally. 



