PASSERINE BIRDS OF NEW YORK 307 



Above, drab or smoke-gray. Wings clove-brown the tertiaries broadly white edged. 

 Tail black, the two outer rectrices chiefly white, the third with terminal white 

 spot. Below, grayish white, faintly buff on abdomen. Lores and orbital ring 

 grayish white. Bill and feet pinkish buff, becoming black later. 



3. First Winter Plumage acquired by a partial postjuvenal 

 moult, beginning in Louisiana the middle of July, which in- 

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

 the wings nor the tail. 



Similar to previous plumage but dull bluish plumbeous gray above with a brownish 

 wash on the back, and pearl-gray below, whiter on abdomen and crissum. 



4. First Nuptial Plumage acquired by a partial prenuptial 

 moult, in February, which involves chiefly the anterior parts of 

 the head, chin and throat. The black frontal band and supra- 

 loral lines are acquired, the crown becoming bluer and the chin 

 and throat deeper gray. Young and old become indistinguish- 

 able. 



5. Adult Winter Plumage acquired by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult. Differs from first winter in having the black 

 frontal band and supraloral lines ; the blue and gray tints are 

 also richer. 



6. Adult Nuptial Plumage acquired apparently by a partial 

 prenuptial moult as in the young bird. 



Female. — In juvenal and first winter plumages indistinguish- 

 able from the male. With less blue and without black frontal 

 band in all subsequent plumages. 



TURDID^ 



The uniform rule is an annual moult for all the species of this 

 family with the postjtivenal moult incomplete. The Thrushes 

 are peculiar, especially females, in frequently failing to renew 

 the spotted wing coverts at the postjuvenal moult, so that old 

 and young may usually be told apart by this character during 

 the succeeding twelve-month. The natal down remains at- 

 tached for a longer period than in most other species of Pas- 

 serine birds. 



