408 Birds of Colorado 



when most birds take shelter. During the breeding 

 the males sing very contmuously, sometimes perched 

 on tall weed stalks, but more often on the wing. Thej' 

 rise obhquely in the air at an angle of about 50'^, to a 

 height of fifteen or twent}^ feet, then descend obhquely 

 again, ahghting fifteen or twenty feet from where they 

 started, singing continuously. 



The Lark-Bunting breeds early m June, and fresh 

 eggs are to be met with about June 5th near Denver 

 (Dille). There is a clutch of fresh eggs in the Colorado 

 College Museum, taken by I. C. Hall as late as July 

 5th near Greeley ; perhaps this is a second brood. The 

 nest in this case was placed in a shght hollow in the 

 ground, in a freshly cut alfalfa field, and was made up 

 of alfalfa stems and leaves. The eggs, five in number, 

 are pale greenish-blue and unspotted ; they measure 

 about -90 X -65. 



Family TANGARID^. 



Bill conirostral, resembling that of the FringillidcB, 

 but without any angulation at the base of the commissure 

 or cutting edge, though often dentirostral, i.e. with an 

 indication of a tooth-like projection about half way 

 along the cutting edge ; primaries nine in number ; 

 habit frugivorous and insectivorous but never gramini- 

 vorous, 



It is difficult, if not impossible, to draw an absolute 

 distinction between this family and the Fringillidce 

 though the conformation of the bill is generallj^ available. 

 The Tanagers are mostly birds of brilliant colouring 

 and are confined to America, where they are chiefly 

 met with in the tropical regions. Only one genus is 

 represented in Colorado. 



