PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 317 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear as in the 

 young bird. 



Female. — The plumages and moults correspond to those of 

 the male. In ju venal plumage the female is similar to the male, 

 but the outer primary and outer rectrix have white outer webs, 

 the blue is everywhere very much duller, and replaced with 

 brown on the tertiaries and wing coverts, the edgings duller 

 and the quills with duskier tips. In first winter plumage the 

 blue is obscure and confined to the wings, tail and rump, the 

 back is dull grayish chestnut, grayer on the crown. The sides 

 of head are gray and white mixed, the orbital ring white. 

 Below, the throat, breast and sides are reddish cinnamon, tinge- 

 ing also the grayish white chin ; abdomen and crissum dull 

 white. The first nuptial plumage is acquired by wear and 

 usually shows a little more blue as the edgings are lost. The 

 adult winter plumage is practically indistinguishable from the 

 first winter but a little bluer above and ruddier below and the 

 adult nuptial is the same, modified by wear. 



Postscript. — Although my paper was read on March 13, 

 1899, and placed in the editor's hands on July 1 1, 1899, owing 

 to unforseen delays, no proof reached me until nearly a year 

 later, on June i, 1900. However, thanks to the courtesy of the 

 editor, I have had opportunity to revise the whole paper up to 

 this date, and a portion of it to a still later date, so that it has 

 lost nothing by the long delay in publication, and now consti- 

 tutes a complete study of the moults and plumages of the Pas- 

 serine birds of the State of New York. 



New York City, Oct. 8, 1900. 



