TANAGRID.E: TANAGERS. 347 



Family TANAGRID^ : Tanagers. 



An extensive, brilliant family, confined to America, abounding in species between the 

 tropics. Its position is a point at issue with ornithologists ; it may naturally follow Coerebidce 

 and MniotiltidcB, though certainly no families should 

 stand between it and Fringillidce. In fact, certain 

 tropical forms might be assigned to either indifferently. 

 The best definition of Tanagers is that given by the 

 distinguished ornithologist who called them '' deuti- 

 rostral finches ; " but this generalization, like other 

 happy epigrams, is insusceptible of application in de- 

 tail, and Tanagers remain to be precisely characterized. Fig. 205. — Dentirostrai bill of a Tanager 

 As a consequence, the number of species can hardly be ('P»''-°«^« hepatica), nat. size, 

 approximately estimated; but upward of 300 are usually enumerated. 



The principal North American genus, Piranga, may be recognized among all the birds 

 of our country by the combination of 9 primaries and scutellate tarsi with a turgid bill, notched 

 tit tip and toothed or lobed near middle of the maxillary tomia (fig. 205) ; though this last 

 character is sometimes so obscure that it might be looked at without being seen. It is better 

 marked in the Scarlet and Hepatic Tanagers than in the Summer Tanagers. The species of 

 Piranga are birds of brilliant colors, with great seasonal and sexual differences of plumage. 

 They are frugivorous and insectivorous, and consequently migratory in the United States. 

 They inhabit woodland, lay 3-5 dark-colored, speckled eggs, about 0.95 X 0.65, nest in trees, 

 and are no great songsters. In distribution they are rather southerly, scarcely passing north- 

 ward beyond tlie U. S. 



EUPHO'NIA. (Gr. fvcjxovos, euphonos, euphonious, sweet-voiced, musical; one of the species 

 is E. musica, the Organist Tanager of the West Indies.) Musician Tanagers. A large 

 genus of tropical and subtropical species, one of which is supposed to occur in Texas ; but no 

 specimens are known to have been taken over our border since Giraud's time. The following 

 species may be recognized by its small size and peculiar, coloration. 



E. elegantis'sima. (Lat., superlative degree of elegans, choice, select, elegant.) Blue- 

 HEAOED Tanager. Adult ^ : Above, black, with a purplish gloss ; crown and nape blue ; 

 frontlet chestnut, bordered behind by a black line. Below, deep brownish-orange, the throat 

 black. Lining of wings and inner edges of wing-feathers white. Bill black ; feet light brown. 

 Length 4.50; wing 2.50; tail L50. 9 '• Upper parts olive-green with blue cap and chestnut 

 frontlet ; Ix'low, olive-yellow, brightest in middle of belly. Eggs creamy white, sparsely 

 marke<l, and chiefly at the larger end, with different shades of brown. Mexico to Texas. 

 This beautiful little Tanager was duly noted in the Key, 1872, and 1884, but first formally 

 introduced in the 3d ed., 1887, p. 871 ; it is No. [606] of the A. O. U. Lists, 1886 and 1895. 

 PIRAN'CJA. (Barbarous name of some South American bird.) Summer Tanagers. Bill 

 stout, turgid, conoidal, usually notched at tip, with one or more denticulatious of cutting edge 

 of upper mandible near middle of commissure. Kictal bristles well developed. Nostrils basal, 

 the frontal antite reaching them. Wings lengthened and pointed; first 4 feathers subequal and 

 longest. Tail moderate in length, shorter than wings, emarginate. Tarsus not shorter than 

 middle toe; lateral toes about equal, outer coherent with middle by nearly all of the length of 

 its basal joint. Sexes more or less unlike in color; red usually prevailing in the ^. Habits 

 migratory, insectivorous, arboreal; voice not musical. Eggs spotted. Four species of this 

 beautiful genus inhabit the IJ. S., three of them representing, according to ])attern of color- 

 ation, as many o{ the sections into which it is divisible. Numerous others are found in the 



