Family Fringillidcz- -Indigo Bunting 97 



caped and remained near, so that "on the approach 

 of other birds, by cries of alarm, or by flying with 

 them and leading them away, it succeeded in keep- 

 ing almost every bird from the net." This lasted 

 for upwards of an hour, until finally the little crea- 

 ture was shot. 



Nests are built about houses, behind blinds, in 

 street-lamps, and other similar places. They are 

 said to begin nests even in the winter. There are 

 four to six broods in a year, and five or six young 

 in a brood. 



The only notes are the chirps and twitterings 

 which may be heard almost constantly. 



LITERATURE: 



Birttways. OLIVE THOKXE MILLER. 



47. INDIGO BUNTING; INDIGO-BIRD 



{Passerina tya/iea.) 



Male : metallic greenish blue above and below ; wings and tail 

 dark, nearly black ; bill conical ; upper mandible dark, lower 

 one horn-colored ; feet black. Bird about two-thirds the size of 

 a sparrow. Female: upper parts olive-brown; under parts 

 whitish brown streaked with darker; wings dusky. 



THIS brilliant little bird may be found on the 

 edges of woods, and even in trees along the road- 

 side. It is, however, not easy to observe, owing to 



