TANAGRAS. 465 



TANAGRAS. 



In these the Bill is short, robust, hard, in the form of a flattened 

 cone and somewhat depressed at the base ; the upper mandible 

 bluntly keeled, curved and notched near the tip, longer, wider, and 

 projecting over the lower } the inferior mandible inflected at the 

 edges. Nostrils basal, rounded, open, partly covered by the feath- 

 ers of the frontlet. Tongue short, sharp, and cleft at tip. Tarsus 

 rather longer than the middle toe ; inner toe united at base to the 

 middle one ; hind toe-nail largest. — Wings of moderate dimensions ', 

 tlie 3 first primaries nearly of equal length and longest. —The female 

 and young diff'er much from the male in complete plumage, which is 

 subject to great changes according to the season. The moult is half- 

 yearly, and the general colors of the species peculiarly brilliant. 



These are active, but not very cautious birds, leading a solitary 

 life, or roving about only in families, and frequenting shady and 

 recluse woods. They are sudden and capricious in their movements, 

 seldom alighting on the ground, flying briskly, and progressing by 

 hops. Their voice is sometimes rather musical, though not gener- 

 ally agreable. They build in trees ; feed indifferently on seeds, 

 berries, and insects, which last they seize on ihe wing, or collect in- 

 dustriously from the branches of trees. — They are peculiar to Amer- 

 ca, and chiefly tropical. 



Subgenus. — Pyranga. 



The upper mandible with an obtuse tooth on either side near 

 the middle. 



SCARLET TANAGER or BLACK-WINGED SUM- 

 MER RED-BIRD. 



{Tanagra rubra, Lin. Wilson, ii. p. 42. pi. 11. fig. 3. [male] and 

 fig. 4. [female]. Phil. Museum, No. 6128.) 



Sp. Charact. — Scarlet-red; wings and emarginate tail black ; the 

 base of the plumage ash, then white. — Female, young, and au- 

 tumnal 'male, dull green, in the latter inclining to yellow ; beneath 

 yellow ; wings and tail dusky. 



This splendid and transient resident, accompanying 

 fine weather in all his wanderings, arrives from his win- 



