46 
Brewster’s Descriptions of First Plumages. 
119. Porzana Carolina. 
Downy stage : chick a few days old. Bill short, exceedingly depressed, 
high at base, rapidly tapering, the tip deflected. The whole body densely 
covered with dull black down, beyond which are produced abundant long, 
glossy, black hair-like filaments. Upon the throat is a tuft of stiff, coarse, 
bristle-like feathers of a bright orange-color. These are directed forward, 
and give the bird a most singular appearance. From a specimen in my 
cabinet collected at Cambridge, Mass., June 24, 1874. This bird, although 
the only specimen of the kind now at hand, is one of a large brood which 
was attended by the female parent. Several of the others were distinctly 
seen and closely examined at the time. All had a similar orange tuft 
upon the throat. 
Notwithstanding the close relationship of this species to the preceding 
one, I am inclined to think that it has no distinctive first plumage, and 
that the down is worn until the feathers of the fall dress begin to appear. 
Negative evidence tending to strengthen this belief is afforded by a good 
number of specimens shot during the summer months. The autumnal 
plumage is too well known to merit description. The plumage of the 
adult varies but slightly at the different seasons. 
Supplementary. — Tachycineta bicolor. In my remarks upon the 
development of the plumage of young birds of this species (Yol. Ill, No. 
2, p. G3), I stated that the first plumage was worn “ much longer than in 
most birds.” From investigation of material collected during the past 
season, I find that the change takes place from about the middle to the 
last of September. Six specimens shot at Concord, Mass., October 16, 
1878, have all acquired the full autumnal dress. The young differ from 
the adults only in having an exceedingly faint brownish-ashy wash on 
the breast and throat, and also in the shade of the metallic lustre of the 
back, which is of a greener and less steely cast. Both adults and young 
possess the conspicuous white tipping on the secondaries. 
Under the head of Coturniculus henslowi (Yol. Ill, No. 3, p. 118), I made 
the generalization that, “ with the single exception of Chrysomitris ti'istis, 
this is the only species of the Fringillidce, so far as I am aware, in which 
the young in first plumage are entirely immaculate beneath.” That state- 
ment I now find must be considerably modified. At the time of writing 
it entirely escaped my notice that I had previously described a third un- 
spotted species ( Pinicola enucleatorf and that still a fourth, namely, 
Pyrrhuloxia sinuata , remarked upon in the same paper as in transitional 
condition, was also plain. Mr. Ridgway has since informed me that the 
following additional North American species are, in the first plumage, 
entirely immaculate beneath : Hesperiphona vespertina , Chrysomitris psaltria, 
Chrysomitris psaltria mexicana , Spizella atrigularis , Cardinalis virginianus , 
Pipilo aberti , Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus, Pipilo fuscus albigula , Plectrophanes 
nivalis, Leucosticte griseinucha , Goniaphea ccerulea , Cyanospiza ciris. 
