174 NEW-YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 



Color. Sky-blue, showing in some lights a greenish tint ; the outer webs of the primaries 

 whitish. Quills, larger wing-coverts and tail dark brown. Autumnal male, bluish with 

 brown patches : obsolete bands across the tail. In moulting, the male resembles more or 

 less the female. Female: lower mandible light-colored ; chin, throat and breast buff ; belly 

 and vent soiled white ; wings and tail darker than the light yellowish brown above. 



Length, 5-5-6-0. Alar spread, 7-0-8-0. 



The Indigo-bird is one of our most beautiful visiters from the South. It leaves Mexico 

 and appears in Texas in April, and in New-York in the latter part of May, where it breeds. 

 The nest is usually on some low bush, with white immaculate eggs. Its food consists of 

 caterpillars, worms, grasshoppers and seeds. The male is three years in acquiring his full 

 plumage. The species occurs throughout the whole Union, extending to the great lakes and 

 to the 45th parallel. It leaves New-York about the middle of September. 



(EXTRA-LIMITAL.) 



S. ciris. (Aim. B. of Am. Vol. 3, pi. 169.) Red. Head and back above purplish blue ; back yellowish 



green; wings dusky red. Female and yearling male, green olive; wings beneath yellowish. 



Length, 5 inches. Carolina, Louisiana. 

 S. amana. (Id. ib. Vol. 3, pi. 171.) Verdigris blue ; beneath white. Breast pale ferruginous ; wings 



bifasciate with white. Female, brown above; rump greenish blue ; throat ferruginous. Length, 



5-5. Columbia river. 



