110 



less marked effects than in the young birds. The exposed 

 edges of the buff median coverts fade to a dull white. The 

 more resistant nature of the adult feathers is strikingly shown 

 by this species, the worn and faded remiges and rectrices of 

 young birds contrasting sharply with those of adults. 



'^Female. — In natal down and ju venal plumage females differ 

 little from males, the juvenal dress perhaps averaging browner 

 above with less buff below and the chin narrowly streaked. The 

 first winter plumage is acquired by a complete post juvenal 

 moult as in the male, from which the female now differs 

 widely being brown and broadly streaked. The first winter 

 plumage is hardly distinguishable from the adult winter and 

 passes into the first nuptial by wear which produces a black 

 and white streaked bird, brown above. A pinkish or salmon 

 tinge is often found in females in any of these plumages 

 especially about the chin and head and an orange or crimson 

 tinge may show on the 'shoulders' of the older birds." 



These excellent descriptions, together with such innate 

 variation as is likely to occur, account for practically every 

 plumage. Certain birds, however, seem to show greater 

 difference than would be allowed for by ordinary variation. 

 The difference is most noticeable in the spring. These speci- 

 mens resemble the adult males in having the bright scarlet 

 shoulder patches, which, however, are occasionally flecked 

 with black, and in the greater gloss to the feathers. They 

 resemble the immature males in the first nuptial plumage in 

 the persistence of the buffy and rusty edgings to the feathers 

 and in the decidedly worn brownish remiges and rectrices. 

 This plumage is thus intermediate between the immature and 

 adult plumages as described by Dwight. The regularity of 

 its occurrence leads me to beheve that it frequently requires 

 more than two years for the fully adult plumage to be ac- 

 quired, and that these represent birds of the second year. 



Food and Food Supply. 

 The food of the Red-winged Blackbird has received so much 

 attention on account of its economic importance that it is 

 impossible to quote all that has been written on the subject. 



