256 DWIGHT 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult, beginning late in July in eastern Canada, which involves 

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

 wings nor the tail. Occasionally an old juvenal covert is retained 

 and sometimes one or more black tertiaries or black-spotted back 

 feathers are assumed. 



Unlike the previous plumage. Above, bluish plumbeous gray bluest on the head, 

 and everywhere veiled with olive-green edgings. Below, white, tinged with 

 pale yellow or buff on the flanks ; sides of head including superciliary line, the 

 chin, throat, sides of breast and abdomen and the tibiae black, veiled slightly 

 with ashy gray, the interramal space usually white. The wing coverts are black, 

 edged with bluish plumbeous gray. There are usually a few white feathers on 

 the lower eyelid. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired probably by an extremely 

 limited prenuptial moult confined to the head and chin. Blue- 

 gray crown feathers and black interramal ones are assumed by 

 moult, the greenish edgings above and the ashy ones of the black 

 areas being lost by wear which is marked. Young and old be- 

 come indistinguishable except by the brown worn wings and tail 

 most noticeable in the primary coverts of the young bird. Al- 

 though most of the white interramal feathers are basally black 

 wear alone of this region could scarcely produce the uniformly 

 black feathers found on spring birds. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult in July. Differs from first winter in being of a 

 bluer gray above without greenish edgings, the back often with 

 a few black spots, the crown with concealed dusky shaft streaks. 

 The black below solid, including the interramal space, the veil- 

 ing absent or slight, the primaries with a larger area of white. 

 The wings and tail are blacker and the edgings bluer, showing 

 well in the primary coverts. There is no white on the lower 

 eyelid. Young and old become indistinguishable. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired perhaps by a limited pre- 

 nuptial moult as in the young bird, wear producing no obvious 

 changes. The less worn, blacker wings with bluer edgings dis- 

 tinguish adults from young in first nuptial dress. The freshness 

 of crown and chin feathers, the former sometimes with blacker 

 shaft streaks than in autumn, point to a moult. 



