330 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



The habits of this bird are pretty well known. It is a 

 very fine songster, and is hardly excelled by any of our 

 other species ; its notes being uttered, not only through the 

 day, but also during the night, as I have heard oii several 

 occasions. The song is difficult of description : it is a 

 sweet warble, with various emphatic passages, and some- 

 times a plaintive strain, exceedingly tender and affecting. 



The Grosbeak feeds upon the seeds of the birches and 

 alders, which it obtains very expertly. It also is very fond 

 of various berries and buds, and it occasionally searches 

 among the fallen leaves for insects and worms. 



After the young birds have become capable of providing 

 for themselves, the whole family sometimes visit the orchards 

 and gardens, where they eat a few berries and currants. 

 By the middle of September, they proceed leisurely on their 

 southern migration. 



CYANOSPIZA, Baied. 



Passei'ina, Vieillot, Anah-se (1816). Not of Linnaeus; used in Botany. 



Cyanospiza, Baiiid. (Tj'pe Tanagra cycmea, L.) 



Bill deep at the base, compressed; the upper outline considerably curved ; the 

 commissure rather concave, with an obtuse, shallow lobe in the middle; gonj's 

 slightly curved; feet moderate ; tarsus about equal to middle toe; the outer lateral 

 toe barely longer than the inner, its claw falling short of the base of the middle; 

 hind toe about equal to the middle without claw; claws all much curved, acute; 

 wings long and pointed, reaching nearly to the middle of the tail ; the second and 

 third quills longest; tail appreciably shorter than the wings, rather narrow, very 

 nearly even. 



The species of this genus are all of very small size and of showy plumage, 

 usually blue, red, or green, in well-defined areas. 



CYANOSPIZA CYASEA.—Baird. 



The Indigo-bird. 



Tanagra cyanea, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 315. 



FHngilla cyanea. Wils., L (1810) 100; Aud. Orn. Biog., L (1832) 377; V. 503. 



Description. 

 3fale. — Blue, tinged with ultramarine on the head, throat, and middle of breast; 

 elsewhere with verdigris-green; lores and anterior angle of chin velvet-black; wing 

 feathers brown, edged externally with dull bluish-brown. 



