No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. I37 



Peabody Museum, these specimens having come from the Yale 

 Natural History Society, in a collection of mounted birds, some 

 of which were collected by Linsley at Stratford, and the others 

 probably near New Haven. 



Hoyt records a specimen being seen near Stamford in the 

 summer of 1904 by Miss Fessenden ; but the possibility of mis- 

 taking a male English Sparrow for the Dickcissel has been more 

 than once proved by experienced ornithologists. 



Family TANGARID^. Tanagers. 



Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson). Western Tanager. 



A young male of this species was collected by H. W. Flint 

 on Fair Haven Heights, In New Haven, Dec. 15, 1892. " It is 

 not an escaped bird, as the feet and plumage clearly indicate."^ 



Piranga erythromelas Vieillot. Scarlet Tanager. 



A common summer resident from May until September. 



Earliest record. New Haven, May i, 1907; Portland, May 

 3, 1908. 



Latest record. New Haven, Oct. 10, 1901 ; Portland, Oct. 

 9, 1891. 



Nest. In a tree in orchard or woodland, 5-20 feet from the 

 ground. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; early in June. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. May 28, 1898, four eggs 

 (L. B. B.), Latest record. Aug. 10, 1909, three eggs (M. T. 

 Smith). 



Unusual eggs. Occasionally the eggs are very faintly and 

 finely spotted, altogether lacking the usual bold markings; e. g., 

 June 5, 1888, New Haven, set of four (Parsons) ; May 28, 1898, 

 set of four (L. B. B.) ; June 2, 1903, Chester, one (Canfield) ; 

 May 29, 1898, near New London, set of five (J. H. H.). 



Variations in plumage of the males in the spring are many 

 and interesting; e. g., one with the prevailing color of the 

 plumage except the wings and tail coral-red, taken by A. H. V. 

 and L. B. B., May 17, 1894; another with the prevailing color 

 rufous, taken by L. B. B., July 9, 1904; others show patches of 

 cadmium-yellow, or have occasionally the lesser coverts and 



^Auk, X, I, p. 86; also O. and O., xvii, 12, p. :5 



