Vol. II, Pt. I] GIFFORD— BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 75 



Of three specimens from James Island, taken in latter De- 

 cember, one is a female in fine fresh plumage save for a few 

 old scapulars and interscapulars, which are being replaced. 

 The other two specimens are worn birds in process of moult, 

 one being also much faded. The new feathers appearing in 

 this bird are abnormally pale. 



This brings us to a fine male taken on southern Indefatigable 

 Island on January 11. This bird has pretty well renewed its 

 plumage, although the moult is still in process on the back and 

 in the tail. Both wings show the primary coverts being re- 

 newed, while in the right wing the two outer primaries are 

 lacking, and new ones are just appearing, still enveloped in 

 their sheaths. This is evidently not a normal state, and it 

 may have been brought on by an accident. 



Fourteen adults were taken on Charles Island on February 

 26. These all show some wear in varying degree, but ap- 

 parently very little fading; for the color of the breast and 

 lower neck is much intensified in some by the wearing away 

 of the pale margins of the feathers, leaving them pointed in- 

 stead of rounded. Some specimens show remnants of the 

 previous plumage. One or two others show a few new feath- 

 ers appearing in the back and breast, either belated arrivals of 

 the present plumage or early heralds of the next plumage. 



Seven specimens from James Island, taken in late July and 

 early August, show new feathers, and seem to be coming into 

 full fresh plumage (undoubtedly the postbreeding), although 

 they are by no means all at the same stage. Two are much 

 faded, and, as in other very pale specimens, the new feathers 

 appearing in the neck, breast, and back are paler than normal. 

 Both have worn red feathers at the base of the fore-neck, 

 among which new pale feathers are appearing in conformity 

 with other new pale feathers. One specimen also exhibits a 

 large amount of red on the lower mandible. The other speci- 

 men shows some new pinkish white feathers appearing among 

 the bright red ones of the abdomen. In pale specimens the 

 wings and tail seem to be normal in coloration, and four such 

 specimens show patches of worn red feathers on the lower 

 fore-neck. The pallor elsewhere is not that of immaturity, 

 for the birds are fully adult. 



