CYANOSPIZA CYANEA, IXDIGO-BIRD. 171 



width ; inside it was two wide, one and tbree-fonrtlis deep. The eggs, 

 partly hatched, were pale bluish-white, and measured 0.75 by O.oG inch.'' 

 He also describes nests similar in position, but of fibrous roots and bark 

 strips as well as grasses, with a lining of plant-down or horse-hair, and 

 containing four or five eggs. These last correspond with three found 

 in Utah by Mr. Merriam ; " one was on a scrub-oak about three feet 

 high, and the other two were about two feet above the ground. The 

 eggs, generally four in number, are laid about the first or middle of 

 June, in a beautiful downy nest, composed of fine grasses and wool, 

 lined with hair." 



According to Mr. Trippe, "the Lazuli Finch is abundant in Colorado 

 from the plains up to about G,000 feet, stragglers wandering into Ber- 

 gen's Park, where a few pairs breed, but never venturing beyond 7,000 

 or 8,000 feet, and rarely reaching that limit. A pretty little bird, with 

 much the manners and voice of the Indigo-bird, and a weak, rambling 

 song, in which the relationship of the two birds is quite apparent." 



CYAXOSPIZA CYANEA, (Linn.) Bd. 

 Indigo-bird, 



Tanagra cyanca, Lixx., Syst. Nat. i, 17G0, :515. 



L'mherisa cyanca, et (?) cendca, et (?) cyaneUa, Gm., Syst. Nat. 1788, 876, 887. 



Fringllla cyanca, Wils., Aui. Orn. i, IrilO, 100, pL 6, f. 5.— Bp., Am. Orn. ii, pi. 11, fig. 3 

 ( $ ).— Bp., Syu. 1828, 107.— Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 473.— Aud., Orn. Biog. i, 1832, 

 377 ; V, 1839, .^.03; pi. 74. 



Passerina cyanea, "Vieill., 1816."— Ghay, Haud-list, ii, 1870, 'J7, No. 7435 (according 

 to Gray, type of the genus, antedating Cijanoysp\:a, Balnl, 1858). 



Spiza cyanca, Bp., List, 1838, 35.— Aud., Syn. 1839, 109; B. Am. iii, 1841,96, pi. 170.— 

 Giu., B. L. I. 1844, 110.— WoODH., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 87.— Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 

 1856, 210.— SCL., P. Z. S. 1856, 304 (Cordova).— Russ, J. f. O. 1871, 18. 



Cyanospiza cyanca, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 505.— Scl. 6c Salv., Ibis, 1859, 18 (Guatemala). — 

 ScL., Cat. 1862, 107 (Mexico and Guatemala).— Boakdm., Pr. Bost. Soc, ix, 

 1862, 128 (Maine, "rare").- McIlwu., Pr. Ess. Inst, vi, 1866, 90 (Canada West, 

 common).- SuMicn., Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1839, 552 (Vera Cruz, winter).— Lwvi;., 

 Ann. Lye. viii, 180 (Nicaragua); ix, 1868, 103 (Costa Rica); 1869, 201 (Vuca- 

 tau).— Salv., P. Z. S. 1870, 190 (Veragua).— Allex, Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1872, 

 178 (Eastern Kansas). — Coues, Key, 1872, 150.— Sxow, B. Kans. 1873, 8 (very 

 common).— B. B. & R., N. A. B., ii,'l840, 82, pi. 30, f. 13, 17. 



Cyanoloxia cyanca, Bp., Consp. Av. i, 1850, 502. 



Hab. — Eastern Province of the United States. North to Canada and Maine. West 

 to Kansas and Indian Territory. South through Texas to ^lexico and Central America, 

 where it winters. Breeds through most of its United States habitat, IVom Texas to 

 Canada. Culia (Cab., J. f. O. iv, 1856, 8). 



Although obtained by neither Plxpeditiou, this bird is known to laugo 

 along the Lower Missouri, having been found in Kansas h\ several 

 observers. 



The habits of the dainty Indigo bird need not be here given ; they 

 are familiar to all interested in ornithology. Tlie egg is variou.sly 

 described as jjure wliite, plain blue, or bhii.sh, speckled with reddish. 

 The fact apjjcars to be, not tliat tiiese statements are contiicting or any 

 of them erroneous, but that different eggs vary accordingly. It seems 

 to be the general rule with normally bluish eggs, thiit they range in 

 shade from (juite blue to white, and are o(;casion;illy speckled. Such, 

 for instance, is the case with the eggs of roofipiz(t bitincata, as noted bj* 

 me in tiie ''American Naturalist" for 1873, p. 3L*3; and I presume it will 

 so )>rove to be with those of ('i/(inos})i:n amditd, as it is with Cdhaiiospiza 

 hir()l(>)\ Euspizd (niii')-ii't(in(, and even Ti(r<li(s J'KNCinccita. Neverllu'less, 

 all the numerous eggs before me are plain white, with ii faint blue shaih'. 

 A lair si)ecimen measures 0.72 by 0.52. Eggs of ('. ((inivna are indistiu- 



