PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 213 



the labels) from Central and South America and the West Indies, 

 show abundantly the growth of new feathers, at the prenuptial 

 moult, when the greatest complications of plumage regularly 

 arise, not only in this species but in many others. In precocious 

 individuals the renewal may be nearly complete except usually 

 the primary coverts, secondaries and abdominal feathers and 

 there is an almost unbroken series to individuals that have only 

 renewed a feather here and there. This moult produces a variety 

 of birds, all i^'itJi brown primary coverts, some specimens being as 

 bright blue as are adults; usually, the new blue body feathers, un- 

 worn and of peculiarly slender barbs sometimes white tipped, are 

 mixed in with the bleached much abraded feathers of the first win- 

 ter plumage. One of them is figured on plate VI, fig". 3. Abra- 

 sion of the lower parts brings into view the dull blue or gray 

 bases of the old feathers, the buff edgings of which become faded 

 and nearly white. Two kinds of blue feathers are therefore 

 found not only here but on the rump and head, one bright and 

 new the other dull and worn. The renewal of the wing coverts 

 is very often incomplete and a mixture of blue and brown results. 

 The most surprising renewal is that of the distal primaries ZL'ith- 

 oiit tJicir primary coi'erts, {owx to six being renewed sometimes 

 asymmetrically in the two wings by quills that have blue edgings 

 of various depth of color in contrast to the older and more 

 worn ones adjacent. Five or six seems to be the usual number 

 replaced, and their color is regularly darker than the old ones. 

 A new black tail edged with blue is assumed unless it has already 

 been acquired at the postjuvenal moult. Dull white feathers fre- 

 quently appear on the chin. The bill becomes slaty. It is natural 

 to assume that birds which acquired new wings and tail in the 

 autumn are the worn duller specimens we find in May, while 

 the brighter less worn birds are those which have acquired these 

 feathers at a more recent date. Both classes show recent growth 

 of the blue body feathers, and the slenderness of the barbs of 

 nuptial feathers as compared with the blunter ones of the winter 

 dress ought effectually to dispose of the superfluous idea that 

 color change without moult can take place in this species. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult. 



