Picoides 
aretieus. 
Descriptions of 
tain North Am, 
First Plumage of Cer- 
Bbs. Win-Brewster. 
95. Picoides aretieus. 
First plumage: male. Similar to the adult, hut with the yellow crown- 
patch rather more restricted ; the black of the upper parts duller ; the 
white beneath tinged with brownish, and the bars upon the sides dusky 
instead of black. A few feathers upon the lower interscapular region are 
spotted with white. From a specimen in my collection shot at Upton, 
Mq., July 31, 1874. Unfortunately no females in strictly first plumage 
afiravailable for comparison. A moulting specimen, however, which has 
acquired most of the second or autumnal plumage (Upton, Me., August 
10, 1874), shows a patch of thickly sprinkled yellow feathers upon the 
crown, while another) taken as late as September 5, still retains several 
similar feathers. There can be little doubt but that among a good series 
of young females in first plumage many would be found to occur with 
yellow crown-patches quite conspicuously developed. All among a large 
number of adult females examined have the crown entirely plain. 
{lull. N.O.C. 3, Oct., 1878, p. /fO 
27 
