PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 221 



Piranga erythomelas Vieill. Scarlet Taxager 



1. Natal Down. No specimen seen. 



2. Juvenal Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, olive-yellow, including sides of head and neck, the back greener with dusky 

 edgings. Wings and tail dull brownish black, the secondaries, wing coverts? 

 tertiaries and rectrices edged with olive-yellow, whitish on the tertiaries and 

 primaries. Below, dull white, sulphur-yellow on the abdomen and crissum, 

 broadly streaked on the breast and sides with grayish olive-brown. Bill, 



^^ pinkish buff, slate-black when older. Feet pinkish olive-gray, dusky when 

 older. Differs from P. hidoviciana in the crown being darker and lacking 

 distinct wing bands. 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult beginning the middle of August which involves the body 

 plumage, and the wing coverts, but not the rest of the wings 

 nor the tail. 



Differs from previous plumage chiefly in being unstreaked. Above, including sides 

 of head deep olive-yellow or pale olive-green. Below, citron-yellow. The 

 wing coverts are jet-black edged with olive-yellow, but frequently only a part of 

 them are renewed. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult probably in March and April which involves the body 

 plumage, wing coverts, tertiaries and the tail but not the 

 primaries, their coverts, the secondaries and usually not the 

 alulae. The body plumage becomes scarlet vermilion vaiying 

 in intensity sometimes pale or mixed with orange, usually paler 

 but often indistinguishable from the adult. The tibiae become 

 black and red often retaining a few old greenish feathers. Black 

 tertiaries and black wing coverts without edgings are assumed 

 in sharp contrast to the worn brown flight feathers which mark 

 adults in nuptial dress. It is not unusual for only a part of 

 the wing coverts or tertiaries to be renewed and as a freak, 

 scarlet coverts are occasionally assumed. Greenish feathers of 

 the first winter dress left over are comparatively infrequent on 

 the body, the moult usually being quite complete. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult beginning early in August. Year-old as well as 

 adult birds acquire jet-black wings and tail which distinguish 

 them from first winter birds, and usually the yellow green is 

 deeper. 



