PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 269 



ciliary line bright lemon-yellow ; a variable area on the throat seldom including 

 the chin, black, veiled by long yellow edgings, the sides and flanks broadly 

 streaked and similarly veiled. Transocular and rictal streaks dusky ; lores 

 grayish. 



4. FIRST NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult, which involves chiefly the head, chin and throat and not 

 the rest of the plumage. The black chin is assumed and the 

 forehead becomes yellower by moult, wear removing the edgings 

 everywhere so that the streakings below and the throat become 

 jet-black. Young and old become practically indistinguishable, 

 except that the wings and tail of the young bird will average 

 browner and more worn with the edgings duller. 



5. ADULT WINTER PLUMAGE acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult in July. Differs somewhat from the first winter, 

 the black of the throat extending uninterruptedly to the apex of 

 the chin, further down on the throat, and in broader stripes on 

 the sides ; the wings and tail are blacker and the edgings grayer, 

 especially on the tertiaries ; the concealed black of the back more 

 extensive. The veiling is conspicuous on the throat. 



6. ADULT NUPTIAL PLUMAGE acquired apparently by wear, 

 through which the veiling is almost completely lost, the yellow- 

 ish tips of the winter plumage barbs breaking off down to the 

 black portion or very near to it. As all the black feathers of the 

 chin in adult autumnal birds are broadly tipped with yellow, and 

 some of these feathers in spring show unbroken black tips 

 when they are examined under a glass, it is logical to assume a 

 limited replacement which scarcely deserves the name of a moult. 



Female. The plumages and moults of the female correspond 

 to .those of the male. In Juvenal plumage the sexes are prac- 

 tically alike. In first winter plumage the female is browner 

 than the male, without the black throat and the side streaks 

 obscure ; some specimens with much black may, however, easily 

 be mistaken for dull first winter males. The first nuptial plu- 

 mage differs very little from the first winter, wear bringing out 

 the streaking, while a few feathers are assumed by moult on the 

 chin. The adult winter plumage resembles the male first winter 

 and may have considerable black on the throat, and even the 



