PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 171 



coverts ochre to gallstone-yellow, often orange, the feathers dark centrally, 

 usually a sprinkling of Lrick-red feathers and sometimes the yellows completely 

 replaced by red, occasionally carmine. Below smoke gray, the breast and 

 throat usually with some red and yellow not very pronounced. Wing coverts 

 tipped with white forming two distinct bands the lesser coverts plumbeous and 

 ochre tinged. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear, apparently- 

 brightening and a.s.suming a golden .sheen, this optical effect be- 

 ing due to loss of barbules, a similar loss taking place in Car- 

 podaciis p7iypnrciis, underwhich species a full explanation is given. 



5. Adult Wintkr Plu.viage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult. The pinkish plumage is assumed and young and 

 old become indistinguishable. 



The back is clove-brown with olive-gray edgings, elsewhere geranium-red, the 

 wing bands and even primary edgings tinged with geranium-pink. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear as in the 

 young bird, which apparently intensifies the color by a gradual 

 loss of the di.stal barbules of each feather. 



Female. — Plumages and moults are similar to those of the 

 male. In juvenal plumage the sexes are practically indistin- 

 guishable. In first winter plumage duller than the correspond- 

 ing dress of the male ; above, olive-brown with smoke-gray 

 edgings, the crown and rump ochre or dull olive-yellow, entirely 

 smoke-gray below. The first nuptial plumage is acquired by 

 wear. The adult winter plumage is similar to male first winter, 

 but duller with only a tinge of red at most on crown, rump or 

 breast. The adult nuptial plumage is acquired by wear. 



Passer domesticus (Linn.j. PLnglish Sparrow 



1. Natal Down. Mouse-gray. 



2. Juvenal Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, hair-brown somewhat buffy, wings and tail slightly darker, and streaked 

 broadly with clove-brown on the back ; secondaries, tertiaries and wing coverts 

 edged with wood-brown. Below, mouse-gray darkest across jugulum and on 

 the sides, the chin and mid-abdomen nearly white. A dusky postocular stripe. 

 Bill and feet pinkish buff, the former becoming dusky and black before spring, 

 and the latter sepia-brown. 



