196 D WIGHT 



ages, acquiring the black and white crown at the first prenuptial 

 mo ult. 



Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.). WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 



1. NATAL DOWN. Pale clove-brown. 



2. JUVENAL PLUMAGE acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, chestnut-brown, darkest on the head, streaked with dull black, median line 

 and superciliary line olive-gray buff tinged, the feathers of the back edged 

 with buff. Wings and tail deep olive-brown, the coverts and tertiaries chestnut 

 edged and buff tipped, the secondaries and rectrices edged with paler brown, the 

 primaries with brownish white ; edge of wing white. Below, dull white, washed 

 with buff on throat and sides and thickly streaked with clove-brown, the whiter 

 chin merely flecked, the abdomen and crissum unmarked. Bill slaty brown, 

 feet pinkish buff, both darker when older. 



3. FIRST WINTER PLUMAGE acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult, beginning in eastern Canada early in August, which in- 

 volves the body plumage and wing coverts but not the rest of 

 the wings nor the tail. 



Unlike previous plumage except above. The back is more broadly striped and 

 edged with buff, the crown nearly black divided by a dull brownish or olive- 

 gray median line. Superciliary line dull white buff tinged, lemon-yellow an- 

 teriorly ; edge of wing pale yellow. Below, the chin is pure white with black 

 rictal and submalar streaks, the throat and breast ashy gray obscurely vermicu- 

 lated with clove-brown, a darker concealed central breast spot. Abdomen 

 white, the flanks and crissum washed with wood-brown and duskily streaked. 



The more precocious young birds become indistinguishable 

 from adults, and tlgere is great individual variation among them, 

 the whiteness of the chin patch, the grayness of the throat, and 

 the black and white of the crown showing all degrees of in- 

 tensity. As a rule, however, young birds are browner with 

 duller crown stripes and less purely gray breasts. 



4. FIRST NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult during April which involves more or less of the body 

 plumage, but usually confined chiefly to the head, throat and 

 breast and not involving the wings and tail. The black crown 

 and the postocular streak with pure white median and supercil- 

 iary stripes and bright yellow supraloral spot are acquired above ; 

 the white chin bordered by clear cinereous gray being the chief 

 feature below. The breast spot and vermiculation are lost if in- 



