PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 205 



3. First Winter Plum age acquired by a partial postju venal 



moult beginning the end of August which in\-ol\-es the body 



plumage and the wing coverts, but usually not the rest of the 



wings nor the tail. 



Above, similar to the previous plumage, the back and the lateral crown stripes show- 

 ing more chestnut ; a grayish nuchal band. Below, unlike previous plumage, 

 grayish white, cinereous on throat obscurely streaked with a darker gray, 

 washed on the flanks and often on the breast with olivaceous wood-brown ob- 

 scurely streaked or spotted with clove- brown. Rictal and submalar streaks 

 black bordering a grayish or yellow tinged chin. Superciliary line clear 

 olive-gray or yellow tinged ; postocular streak black ; auriculars bistre. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult which involves chiefl}^ the crown, chin and throat, but not 

 the wings nor the tail. The amount of renewal varies accord- 

 ing to individual, and ma}' be quite extensive ; a few feathers of 

 most of the body tracts are usually renewed. Early April 

 specimens from the south show the prenuptial moult in progress. 

 The chestnut cap with black forehead, white chin, and clear cin- 

 ereous gray of the throat, sides of head and neck are assumed, 

 and a nearh' complete renewal is indicated in some cases judg- 

 ing by the freshness of the feather borders. 



5. Adult W^ixter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult in August and September. Practically indistin- 

 guishable in many cases from first winter, but usually with more 

 chestnut on the crown, the superciliary line and sides- of neck 

 a clearer darker gray, the chin not yellow tinged but white and 

 a grayer cast of plumage everywhere perceptible. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenup- 

 tial moult as in the young bird. It seems to me that unless the 

 crown feathers are renewed b}' moult, more specimens would 

 show the black terminal spot which on feathers of the winter 

 plumage reaches to the forking of the first pair of barbs. It 

 is not an easy point to determine in species showing great wear, 

 although the line of demarcation between areas of old and new 

 feathers is usually marked. 



Female. — The sexes are practically indistinguishable in all 

 plumages, but the female is usually duller and browner, the 

 crown with less chestnut and more streaked especialh^ in the 

 autumn. The prenuptial moult is more limited. 



