216 DWIGHT 



by both young and old, but it is probable that year-old birds do 

 not acquire remiges and coverts wholly claret tinged like adults. 

 This accounts for the green feathers mixed with the others in 

 many specimens in which all the feathers are equally worn. The 

 claret and the greenish remiges and the body plumage are 

 equally fresh in November birds. The claret tinged tail is first 

 assumed at this moult. 



6. ADULT NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired by wear. It is prob- 

 able that all birds with stray green remiges are birds of the second 

 nuptial stage, those with all of the remiges claret tinged of the 

 third nuptial. The primary coverts are usually claret tinged at 

 both stages and unlike the brown ones of the first nuptial period. 

 The full adult dress is certainly assumed at the second post- 

 nuptial moult and in some cases, if not many, probably at the 

 first. 



Female. -The moults and plumages correspond to those of 

 the male. In Juvenal plumage the wings and tail are duller ; in 

 first winter dress, relative dullness prevails but the sexes scarcely 

 differ, and the first nuptial assumed by wear is characterized by 

 worn brown primary coverts as in the male. At the first post- 

 nuptial moult females assume bright green edged remiges, 

 rectrices and primary coverts and are even greener above and 

 yellower below than males in first winter dress. At the second 

 postnuptial moult or later ones birds tend toward the plumage 

 of the male developing blue or dull red feathers where brighter 

 areas occur in the male. 



It follows that many males cannot be certainly distinguished 

 from females by plumage characters, but the absence of mixed 

 plumages of old and new feathers, as found in Passerina cyanea, 

 disproves any semiannual moult as in the latter species. 



Spiza americana (Gmel.). DICKCISSEL 



1. NATAL DOWN. No specimen seen. 



2. JUVENAL PLUMAGE acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, clay- color, a few broad dull black stripes on the back, the crown bordered 

 laterally with obscure black stripes. Wings and tail dull black, the primaries 



