PASSERINE BIRDS OF xVEW YORK 315 



Saxicola oenanthe (Linn.). Wheatear 



1. Natal Down. No specimen seen. 



2. Juvenal Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, mouse-gray, browner on the back and white on the rump, the feathers with 

 dusky terminal edgings and with central whitish spots. Wings dull black, 

 lesser coverts like the back, other coverts, secondaries and tertiaries with cinna- 

 mon edgings, paler at the tips of the primaries. Tail basally white, terminally 

 dull black, tipped with pale cinnamon. Below, dull white, the feathers of the 

 chin, throat and breast with dusky terminal edgings. Bill and feet brownish 

 black in dried specimens. 



3. First Winter Plum.\ge acquired by a partial postju venal 

 moult which involves the body plumage, but not the wings nor 

 the tail. 



General color cinnamon, paler on chin, superciliary stripes, and under tail coverts. 

 Lores obscurely black. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult which involves the body plumage, but not the wings nor 

 the tail. 



Smoke -gray above, with white upper tail coverts and superciliary stripe and a black 

 transocular line. Below, white, tinged, chiefly on throat, with pale cinnamon. 



The worn wings and tail with remains of the brown edgings 

 of the Juvenal plumage distinguish young from old birds. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult. Similar to first winter dress, but the edgings 

 not so brown and the wings, primary coverts especially, and 

 tail, blacker. A specimen from Roumania (Am. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist., No. 54069, <?, July 5) is passing by moult from the gray 

 nuptial to the brown winter dress, four of the proximal primaries 

 and a part of the body plumage already renewed at this early 

 date. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult which involves only the body plumage, as in the young 

 bird. The blacker less worn wings and tails without signs of 

 buffy edgings, whiter forehead and clearer white of lower parts 

 less washed with cinnamon, all help to distinguish old birds 

 from young ones. 



