Auk 
138 CHADBOURNE, Sfring Plumage of the Bobolink. nea 
taken in June 1895, escaped by tearing a hole in the cloth top of 
the cage. However, through the kindness of Messrs. Allen, 
Batchelder, Brewster, Merriam, and others, I have been able to 
compare a series of more than 175 male Bobolinks,. probably 
covering about the same localities and dates as the material used 
by Mr. Chapman in the preparation of his articles on this 
subject.!. Among the skins loaned by the American Museum of 
Natural History was the specimen from Corumba, Brazil, on which 
the hypothesis was originally based that the black and white dress 
> without any ‘color-change’ in the 
was entirely due to ‘moulting 
individual feathers. ‘The assumption being that ‘moulting’ is 
conclusive proof of the absence of any color-change,— a supposi- 
tion which has been frequently used by writers on this subject, 
but one which is absolutely without proof of its correctness as yet, 
while it is shown to be untenable by examination of the Corumbaé 
bird, as will appear later. 
- First as to my pet Bobolink, which was kept from January until 
the breeding plumage was complete : — The bird always seemed 
well and strong, and the co/o7-change was NOT accompanied by any 
increase in feather-loss, 7. é., not greater than during the winter and 
often for several days in succession there were no cast-off feathers 
at allto be found. ‘The total during the three weeks that the 
change was in progress was /hirteen,—namely two broken 
rectrices and eleven contour feathers. It is hardly possible that 
any stray specimens were unnoticed, for even had they fallen 
outside of the cage they would have been found in the room, and 
a wire netting protected the window. ‘ Pin-feathers’ could hardly 
have been overlooked, if present; for I often held the bird in my 
hand and carefully examined it, blowing back the plumage until 
the skin could be seen. It is also safe to say, doubtless, that the 
cast-off feathers were not eaten by the bird itself. Hence it 
follows that unless the previous plumage was made up of only two 
tail and eleven body feathers, both of the former on the same 
side,— which was certainly not the case,— my Bobolink was 
unguestionably an instance of color-change in the plumage without 
‘moult.’ 
‘Cf. Auk, VII, 1890, pp. 120-124 ; also zbzd., X, 1893, pp. 339-341. 
