25-i DWIGHT 



Female, — Not distinguishable from the male until the first 

 winter plumage is assumed, which is duller and browner above, 

 and generally without yellow below, being dull white with gray 

 streaking. The first nuptial shows a little yellow assumed by 

 a limited prenuptial moult. The adult winter plumage is similar 

 to the male in first winter dress, the yellow below rather paler 

 and with less heavy streaking. Later plumages are duller than 

 those of the male. 



Dendroica aestiva (Gmel.). Yellow Warbler 



1. Natal Down. Mouse-gray. 



2. Juvenal Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, pale olive-brown. Wings clove-brown broadly edged with bright olive • 

 yellow paling at tips of the quills, the edge of the outer primary bright lemon- 

 yellow\ Tail pale clove-brown, the inner webs of the rectrices lemon-yellow, 

 the outer edged with olive-yellow. Below, pale sulphur-yellow, unstreaked. 

 Bill and feet pinkish buff the former becoming slaty, the latter deep sepia- 

 brown. 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult, early in July, which involves the body plumage and the 

 wing coverts, but not the rest of the wings nor the tail. 



Similar to previous plumage but yellower and somewhat obscurely streaked below. 

 Above, pale yellowish olive-green, the edgings of the wing coverts paler. Be- 

 low, dull lemon-yellow obscurely, narrowly and sparingly streaked on the 

 throat and sides with pale chestnut. 



The paler yellow lower parts, but slightly streaked, distin- 

 guish young birds from old. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult which involves most of the body plumage, the wing 

 coverts and the tertiaries, but not the primaries, their coverts, the 

 secondaries, nor the tail. The whole plumage becomes golden 

 lemon-yellow, greener above and brightly streaked on the 

 throat, breast and sides with pale chestnut, somewhat veiled by 

 the feather edgings. The forehead and crown are yellower than 

 the back and usually chestnut tinged. The tertiaries and wing 

 coverts are broadly edged with bright lemon-yellow. An un- 

 dated specimen from French Guiana (Am. Mus., No. 39844), 



