210 BinDS OF ILLINOIS. 



J'uiiingn ruhni Sw. A: Itlill. V. 11. A. ii.ls..l.L';:i.-.\i!i>. Sni.ip. IK». IM; H. Am. Hi. IMI. 

 -.iSi.l.l. LiiW. ItAiUD.Il. N. An>. lH.',n.;iu: (.'at. X. Am. 1). IWJM.Xo. £».-CofE8. Ki-y. IWJ, 

 111: (.li.-.k Li«t.IK7.I.N.). 1(17: M id. 11SS>. Nil. IM: «. N. W. 1X74.82: IJ. fol. Viil. IKTit, 

 :iw.-lt. II. & K. Hist. N. Am. 15. i, 1K74. W5. i>\. 30. IIkh. 7. tL-BlDiiw. Nmii. N. Am. B. 

 Itai.No. 161. 

 Piranga erulhromrlag VlEIIX. Nuuv. Dl<-t. & HIhL Niit. xxvill.l81!>.'J!n. 



Had. EiistiTii I'nltod Stiili'K.liri'i'illiiK I'lilnfly mirtliwiird: ncirtli tn ljik>' Winnlppfc. In 

 till' iii(rrii>r: wiiili'iint: In ("Ink. Jiiniaii'ii. Ititrliiuliii'-i, ami tin- wliolu uf MiiUlli- AmiTlva 

 (i?.\ri>iit western Mexieu). ami south t<i Trinidad and Eeuailor. 



"8p. CUAR. liill >ilii>rter than the head. Beeond q\iill loneeHt; llrst and third a little 

 shorter. Tall moderately foriced. Mitlr. Wholi' liea<l and lio<ly eontlniioiis.imre, intense 

 si'arlet.the feathiTs white lieneath the surfai'i'.anrl Krayisli at the roots. Winus ami tail, 

 with the seapuljirs, uniform intensi- lilaelc; the middle-eoverts HometimeH partly red. 

 rormini; an interrnpti'd hand. Liniau of wini; white. A lilaekisli tinue aloni: sides of thi< 

 ruinp.eoneealed liy winKS. Bill pea-urei-u: iris hrown: tarsi and toes dull hlue. Ffiiialr. 

 Oiivi'-irreen ahovi'. yellowish beneath. Wini; and tail-feathers lirown. edged with oliva- 

 ceous. Length, 7.40: wine,4.00; tail, 3.(10." 



"At least thi-ee years seem to lie requireil for the assumption of 

 the perfect plumage of the male. In the first year the youn^; male 

 is hke the female, but has black wings and tail : in the fall red 

 feathers bi-^'iii to make their appearance, and the following spring 

 the red i)redominates in patches." (Hist. X. Am. B.) 



By far the most showy of our birds, the adult male of the Scarlet 

 Tanager is a most brilliant creature when seen among the bri^dit 

 green foliage, which so effectively complements the glowing scarU't 

 and velvety black of his plumage. 



In the southern half uf Illhiois, the Scarlet Tanager, while not 

 an uncommon summer resident in some localities, is decidedly a 

 less abundant bird than his plainer but more musical relative, the 

 Summer liedbird. He is also much more retu'ed in his habits, 

 preferring the high timber of the liottom lands to the upland woods, 

 and therefore not brought so much in contact with the abodes of men. 



The song of tliis bird resembles somewhat that of the Robin in 

 its modulation, but is shriller in tone, more hurried, and enunciated 

 with a peeuhar wavering style. The ordinary note, uttered by both 

 sexes, sounds like chip-a-raree, uttered with considerable emphasis 

 when the nest or young are disturbed. 



The nest of the Scarlet Tanager is placed near the end of a hor- 

 izontal branch of a tree, usually an oak or hickory, twenty feet or 

 more from tlu' gn^mmi, and is a very thin and shallow, though liy 

 no means frail, structure, compos(.'d of wiry grasses, fine roots, etc., 

 so loosely interwoven that the eggs may freijuently be seen through 

 the interstices from below. The eggs are three to five in number, 

 light greenish blue, speckled, chiefly round the larger end, with 

 various shades of brown. 



