PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 223 



4. FIRST NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult which involves portions of the body plumage, wing coverts, 

 tertiaries and the tail. There is an unusual amount of individual 

 variation in the extent of this moult accentuated by the contrast 

 of the new vermilion or poppy-red feathers among the old green- 

 ish or yellow ones. Some birds become entirely red except for 

 the old greenish primaries, their coverts and the secondaries and 

 there are all sorts of intermediates ranging down to those with a 

 mere sprinkling of red feathers. The central quills only of the. 

 tail may be renewed, sometimes only part of the tertiaries and 

 wing coverts, but in every case it is easy to see that the process 

 of moult has stopped at points where the checking of its normal 

 advance would produce the varied plumages found. The fresh- 

 ness of the red feathers compared with the green ones is also 

 easily demonstrable. I have also seen two undated specimens, 

 one from Guatemala, showing red feathers still in their sheaths 

 here and there among the brown ones. 



5. ADULT WINTER PLUMAGE acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult in August. The full red plumage including the 

 wings and tail is acquired at this moult. It will be observed that 

 this species does not revert to the greenish dress of the first 

 winter like P. erythomelas. 



6. ADULT NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired by wear which is not 

 very perceptible even on close examination of the feathers. The 

 color of breeding birds is pinkish or geranium-red when com- 

 pared with P. erythomelas. There appears to be no second pre- 

 nuptial moult in this species. 



Female. The plumages and moults correspond to those of 

 the male, but the plumage remains similar to that of the male in 

 first winter and the first and only prenuptial moult is mostly 

 suppressed. Adult females may be red tinged, but regularly 

 they are even yellower than the male in first winter dress. 



HIRUNDINID.E 



The Swallows, like the Flycatchers, afford in their moulting, 

 some problems that existing material scarcely suffices to solve, 



