298 DWIGHT 



volves the body plumage, wing coverts, and the tail, but not the 

 rest of the wings, young and old becoming practically indistin- 

 guishable. 



Similar to previous plumage. Above darker, the rump much rustier, the crown and 

 back with white shaft streaks, wing covert edgings whiter. Below, silky white, 

 the crissum faintly cinnamon ; tail olive-brown on the inner webs, Isabella- 

 color externally, a faint barring discernible, the middle pair of rectrices more 

 broadly and less distinctly barred than in juvenal plumage. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear, birds becom- 

 ing rather dingy below and somewhat faded above. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult in August. Practically indistinguishable from first 

 winter, rather darker and richer. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired by wear as in the young 

 bird. 



Female. — The sexes are alike in plumages and moults. 



PARID^ 



All the members of this family have only the annual moult. 

 They are peculiar in assuming a juvenal plumage closely re- 

 sembling the pale nuptial plumage which results from extreme 

 fading of the winter dress. 



Sitta carolinensis Lath. White-breasted Nuthatch 



1. Natal Down. No specimen seen. 



2. Juvenal Plumage acquired by a complete postnatal moult. 



Above, cinereous gray with faint dull black edgings, pileum and hind neck dull 

 black faintly edged on the nape with pale buff. Wings dull black, the prim- 

 aries white basally and with a dash of white on the middle of their outer bor- 

 ders ; the secondaries, tertiaries and coverts edged with cinereous gray, the 

 greater coverts tipped with ashy gray. Tail jet black, the two central rectrices 

 cinereous gray, the outer pairs with subterminal white blotches. Below, includ- 

 ing sides of head and neck and superciliary line, grayish white usually faintly 

 pinkish tinged ; the crissum partly pale cinnamon ; the loral, auricular and 

 malar feathers with dusky tips. Bill and feet dusky pinkish buff, the bill be- 

 coming bluish slate-gray, the feet deep sepia. 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult, beginning the middle of July, which involves the body 



