TANAGIII D.E — THE TAXAGEKS. 



435 



and along sides. Whole pilenin, from bill to nape and down to the 

 upper edge of lores, eyes, and auiiculars, wings, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail, dark purplish^red. Whole throat dilute vermilion, or rose-pink 

 sharply delined; crissum and lining of wings a paler shade of the same. 

 Wing, 3.05 ; tail, 2.75 ; bill, from nostril, .45 ; its depth at the base, .40, 

 its breadth, .30 : tarsus. .80. Hab. Yucatan. 



Pyranga rvibra, \ri:[i.L. 



THE SCARLET TANAGEK. 



Tanncjra rubra, Lixs. 1, 176(5, 311. — (^mki.in, I, 17»S, >si). — WtLsON, Am. Orn. II, 

 1810, 42; pi. .\i, f. 3, 4. — AfD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 388; pi. cecliv. Pyranija 

 rubra, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, iv ; pi, i, t", 12 (Head,), — Sw.\inso.n-, F. 

 Bor, Am, II, 1831, 273. — BoN. Li.st. 1838. — In, Conspectus, 18.50, —AuD. Syn, 

 1839, 136, — Ib. Bhds iVm, II, 1841, 226 ; pi. cci.x. — Scl.\tek, Pr, Zool, Soc, 1855, 

 156, — Ib, 1856, 123, — M.\x, Cab. Jour, VI, 1858, 270. — S.\MlEl,s, 251, Pluenisoina 

 rubra, Sw, Birds, II, 1837, 284, P/iccn uvsoma riihni, Cab, Mus, Hein, 1851, 24. 

 Pi/ranga crylhroiuclas, Vieillot, "Eucyc, Metli, 800,'' — Ib, Monv, Uict, XXVIII, 

 1817, 293, 



Sp. Cii.vR. Bill .shorter than the head. Second quill longest; first and third a little 

 shorter. Tail moderateh- forked, Male. \Vhole head and body continuous, pure, intense 

 scarlet, the feathers white beneath the surface, and grayi.sh at the roots. Wings and tail, 

 with the scapulars, uniform intense black; the middle-coverts sometimes partly red, form- 

 ing an interrupted band. Lining of wing white, A blackish tinge along sides of the 

 rump, concealed by wings. Bill pea-green ; iris brown ; tarsi and toes dull lilue. Female. 

 Olive-green above. yellowLsh beneath. Wing and tail feathers brown, edged with oliva- 

 ceous. Length, 7.40; wing, 4.00 ; tail, 3.00, 



Hab. Eastern Province North America, north to Winnepeg (west to El Paso ? Heer- 

 MAXS). In winter, south to Ecuador (Rio Napo, ScL.). Bogota (Scl.) Cuba (Scl. & 

 GcNDL.) ; Jamaica (Scl, & GossEj ; Panama (Lawk,) ; Costa Rica (Lawr.) : Vera Cruz 

 (winter, Sumichrast), 



At least tliree years .seem to be re- 

 quired for the assumption of the per- 

 fect phimage of the male. In the first 

 year the young male is like the female, 

 but has black wings and tail ; in the 

 fall red feathers begin to make their 

 appearance, and the following spring 

 the red predominates in patches. 



Habits, The Scarlet Ta'nager is one 

 of the most conspicuous and brilliant 

 of all our summer visitants. Elegant 

 in its attire, retiring and modest in 

 manners, sweet in song, and useful in 

 its destruction of hurtful insects, it 

 well merits a cordial welcome. This 

 Tauager is distriljuted over a wide extent of territory, from Texas to Maine, 

 and from South Carolina to the northern shores of Lake Huron, in all which 



Ftfransa hnloririana. 



