BIRDS OF KiiNSAS. ' 499 



.90x.65; pale greenish blue, minutely spotted with reddish 

 brown, and occasional markings of obscure purple, often aggre- 

 gating into a wreath around the larger end; in form, oval. 



Piranga rubra (Lixx.). 



SUMMER TANAGEB. 

 PLATE XXX. 



Summer resident; common in the eastern part of the State; 

 rare westward. Arrive the last of April; begin laying about 

 the 20th of May; leave in September. 



B. 221. R. 164. C. 155. G. 82, 252. U. 610. 



Habitat. Eastern United States; west to the edge of the 



Great Plains; north to New Jersey, Illinois and Nebraska; 



casually north to Iowa, Connecticut and Ontario; accidental to 



Nova Scotia; south in winter to Cuba, eastern Mexico, Central 



America and northern South America. Breeds throughout its 



United States range. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Rich rose red or vermilion, including wings and 

 tail; the former dusky on unexposed portions of the feathers; bill pale; feet 

 darker. Adult female: Dull brownish olive above, below dull brownish yellow; 

 no wing bars. Young male: Like the female. Male changing plumage shows 

 red, greenish and yellowish in irregular patches, but no black. The female dis- 

 tinguished from erythromelas by the dull brownish, ochery or buffy shades of 

 the olive and yellowish, the greenish and yellowish of female erythromelas being 

 much clearer and paler; also by the paler bill and feet. The tint of mature 

 males varies greatly; from rosy to brick red. {Cones.) 



Stretch of 



- ■• ~ Bill. 



.78 



.75 



Iris brown; bill olive, rather dusky on ridge; legs, feet and 

 claws grayish blue. 



These handsome red birds inhabit the groves, and the streams 

 where skirted with trees and underbrush. They are seldom met 

 with in the deep woods. They are shy and retiring, and, not- 

 withstanding their attractive dress, would rarely be noticed were 

 it not for their oft repeated and peculiarly emphatic call note, 

 "Chicky-tucky-tuck," once heard, never forgotten. The song 

 of the males sounds much like the whistling notes of the Balti- 



