PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 243 



the brown tints are largely lost, the general color becoming 

 whiter and the streaks more distinct. The adult winter plum- 

 age is rather less brown than the female first winter, the streak- 

 ings less obscure and the wings and tail darker. The adult 

 nuptial plumage, acquired partly by moult, is indistinguishable 

 with certainty from the first nuptial. 



Protonotaria citrea (Bodd.). Prothonotary Warbler 



1. Natal Down. Brownish mouse-gray. 



2. JuYENAL Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, dull brownish olive-green, yellowish on the back ; in very young birds a 

 strong wash of Vandyke-brown prevailing which fades to gray. AVings and 

 tail slate-black, edged chiefly with plumbeous gray, the tertiaries (and some- 

 times the other quill feathers) with olive -green ; the coverts edged with yellow- 

 ish or greenish wood-brown palest at their tips. The rectrices are largely 

 white. Below, wood-brown, primrose-yellow on abdomen and crissum, rapidly 

 fading to brownish gray and white. Bill and feet pinkish buff becoming black. 



Twelve specimens of various ages in my collection show 

 remarkable variations in the depth of the brown. 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult in July which involves the body plumage and the wing 

 coverts, but not the rest of the wings nor the tail. Young and 

 old become practically indistinguishable. 



Entirely different from the previous plumage. Chiefly of a bright lemon-yellow 

 deepest on the crown, olive-yellow on the back merging into white on abdo- 

 men and crissum and into piumoeous gray on rump and upper tail coverts. 

 Wing coverts plumbeous gray edged with olive-green which color also veils 

 the yellow crown. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear which produces 

 very little apparent effect except by loss of some of the edgings. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult. Practically indistinguishable from first winter 

 dress, but the wings and tail usually blacker and the edgings 

 clear bluish plumbeous gray especially noticeable on the primary 

 coverts. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear and indistin- 

 guishable from the first nuptial. 



