PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 181 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete postnup- 

 tial moult in August. Differs very little from first winter dress. 

 The wings and tail will average darker with more yellow and 

 the wing coverts have less buff and often a tinge of yellow. 



6. Adult Nuptl\l Plumage acquired by wear as in the 

 young bird. 



Female. — Females have plumages and moults corresponding 

 to those of the males. They are indistinguishable from them in 

 natal down and juvenal plumage except that the extent and in- 

 tensity of the yellow in the wings and tail is less in most speci- 

 mens in juvenal dress. In later plumages this difference holds 

 and besides the birds are usually less heavily streaked and paler 

 than the males. 



Plectrophenax nivalis (Linn.). Sxowflake 



1. Natal Down. No specimen seen. 



2. JuvEXAL Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal 

 moult. 



Above, including sides of head mouse-gray streaked faintly on the head, more 

 broadly on the back with dull black. Wings dull black ashy edged, second- 

 aries, basal part of primaries and wing coverts pure white, the tertiaries broadly 

 edged with Prout's-brown. Tail chiefly white, the central rectrices wholly 

 clove-brown the others merely edged with it terminally. Below, dull white, the 

 throat, breast and sides mouse-gray, a brownish wash in the flanks. Bill pin- 

 kish flesh, feet dull black. 



This description is taken from Greenland specimens. 

 White primary coverts terminally dusky distinguish young 

 males from adults, in Avhich they are wholly white. 



3. First Wixter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult early in August in Greenland which involves the body 

 plumage, but apparently not the wings nor the tail. 



Above, wood-brown often russet tinged, darker on the crown, completely veiling the 

 black basal portions of the dorsal feathers and the white portions of those of 

 the head. Below pure white, a jugular band and the sides russet, its extremi- 

 ties and the auriculars Vandyke-brown. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired chiefly by wear which 

 produces during the breeding season a plumage almost wholly 



