TANAGERS 



ordinarily takes place along the mountains where 

 the birds are not noticed. It is possible that in 

 some years the mountain region lacks the requi- 

 site food, and so the migrating birds are obliged 

 to descend into the valleys. This would seem to 

 be the most plausible explanation of the occur- 

 rence — that is, that the usual line of migration 

 is along the Sierra Nevada, but some years, ow- 

 ing to scarcity of food, or other cause, the flight 

 is forced farther west into the Coast ranges, 

 where the birds find the ripening cherries. As, 

 under ordinary circumstances, the greater part 



of the food of this bird consists of insects, many 

 of them harmful, the Tanager has a fair claim 

 to consideration at the hands of the farmer and 

 even of the orchardist. 



It is [irobable that means may be found to 

 prevent, at least in part, the occasional ravages 

 of the Tanager on the cherry crop. The Tan- 

 ager, like the Robin, jirefers to swallow fruit 

 whole, and as the latter takes small wild cherries 

 in preference to the larger, cultivated kinds 

 when both are equally accessible, it is probable 

 that the Tanager would do the same. 



Drawing by R. I. B' 



WESTERN TANAGER ( ! m 

 A gay mountaineer often found abo 



SCARLET TANAGER 



Piranga erythromelas I'icUlot 



\ II, r, Xumlicr (i08 See Color I'l.ite 87 



Other Names. — Black-winged Redbird ; Fireliird ; 

 Canada Tanager ; Pocket-bird ; Scarlet Sparrow. 



General Description. — Length. 7 inches. Male : in 

 summer, red with black wings and tail ; in winter, red 

 replaced with yellowish-green and yellow. Female: 

 body, yellowish-green above and yellow below ; wings 

 and tail, brownish-gray. Bill, stout ; wings, moderately 

 long and pointed ; tail, shorter than wing, notched. 



Color. — Adult Male in Spring and Summer: 

 Unifnnn intense (flame) scarlet, the shoulders, wings, 

 anil tail uniform deet> hiaek ; under wing-coverts white 

 (sometimes tinged with scarlet), witli a broad outer 

 margin of black; bill grayish-blue basally, dull yellowish 

 green terminally ; iris, brown ; legs and feet, pale laven- 

 der-gray or lilaceous grayish-blue. Adult Male in 

 Fall and Winter: Wings and tail, black as in sum- 

 VoL. III. — 7 



mer ; rest of ujiper parts, yellowish olive-green, more 

 yellowish on forehead and crown ; under parts yellow, 

 shaded with olive-green on sides. Adult Fem.\le in 

 Spring and Summer: Above, yellowish olive-green; 

 wings (except lesser coverts) and tail, dusky brownish 

 gray with olive-greenish edgings ; under parts light 

 yellow, shaded laterally with olive-greenish ; under tail- 

 coverts, clear canary yellow ; under wing-coverts, gray- 

 ish-white with broad outer margin of grayish olive- 

 green ; bill, horn color ; iris, brown ; legs and feet, 

 bluish-gray in life. Young Male in First Autumn: 

 Similar to adult female but yellow of under parts rather 

 clearer, and middle and greater wing-coverts margined 

 terminally with light yellow; the black first appearing 

 (by middle of September) on lesser and middle wing- 

 coverts and shoulder. 



