138 DWIGHT 



the male with two old primaries still unrenewed, the female with 

 five old ones, and both with brown heads, and many other 

 feathers of the juvenal plumage. Young and old become prac- 

 tically indistinguishable. 



Males become glossy black with yellow crown patch ; the outer pair of rectrices are 

 fully nine inches in length and blacker than those of the juvenal dress ; the 

 three distal primaries are deeply incised at the tips, a peculiar emargination. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired apparently by a partial 

 prenuptial moult which involves usually only the body plumage. 

 The evidence as to just what moult occurs is inconclusive. 

 Two specimens from Brazil, of February i, and March 15 

 (Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. No. 36336 9 and No. 36338 9), 

 appear to be in worn juvenal plumage and are assuming a few 

 new feathers here and there. Males would probably show an 

 extensive and possibly a complete moult, and it may be that 

 these two birds were males that failed to accomplish the post- 

 juvenal moult at the usual time. A specimen (Amer. Mus. 

 Nat. Hist., No. 36339 $, Brazil, March 11), is moulting the 

 primaries, only five old ones remaining, two of which are 

 emarginate, suggestive of a young bird, but nevertheless the bird 

 may perhaps be an adult. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult during August and September as shown by several 

 Costa Rican, Venezuelan, and Brazilian birds. October speci- 

 mens begin to show wear which has become very marked in one 

 of December 5. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial and per- 

 haps complete prenuptial moult. The rapid and excessive wear 

 shown by this species points to a complete moult which No. 

 36339, referred to above, may exemplify. A female (Amer. 

 Mus., Nat. Hist. No. 36337) Brazil, February i, also points to 

 this, the two proximal primaries being new. 



Female. — As indicated above males and females in juvenal 

 plumage are alike and both acquire adult dress at the post- 

 juvenal moult, this being delayed perhaps, in some females, until 

 the prenuptial moult. In later plumages the sexes are very 

 similar, the females usually with less emargination. 



