TANAGRID^ — THE TANAGEES. 217 



Piranga rubra (Linn.) 



SUMMER TANAGEB. 



Popular synonyms. Termilion Taiiager; RedTanager; Ked Bee-bird; Summer Redbird. 



Friiigilla rubra LiNN. S. N. ed. 10. i. 1758. 181. 

 Miiscicapa rubra Linn. S. N. ed. 12. i. 1766, 326. 

 Piranga rubra Vikill. Oi.s. Am. Sept. i. 1807. p. iv. 

 Tanagra (estlea Gmel. S. N. i. 1788, 889.— WiLS. Am. Orn. i, 95. pi. 6, fig. .3.— NUTT. Mau. i, 

 1«32, 469.— AUD. Orn. Biog. i. 1831, 232; v, 1839. 518. pi. 44. 

 Pyranga (estira Vielll. 1819.— Aud. Synop. 1839. 136; B. Am. iii, 1831, 222, pi. 208.— Baied, 

 B. N. Am. 1858; 301; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 221.— CouEs. Key. 1872, 111; Cheek List 

 1873, No. 108; 2d ed. 1882, No. 155; B. N. W. 1874, ,82; B. Col. Val. 1878, 352,— B. B. & R. 

 Hist, N. Am. B. i, 1874, 441, pi. 20. figs. 5, 6 ("var. ffs(ira").— RiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 

 1881, No. 164. 

 Tanagra crccinea BoBD. Tabl. P. E. 1783. 46 (ex. PI. Enl. 741). 



Hab. Eastern United States, nortlieast to Conneetieut Valley, or, casually, even to 

 Nova Seotia. but abundant only south of 40". breeding tliroughnut its United States 

 range; wintering in middle America and northern South Amerioa, as tar as Ecuador and 

 Peru; Cuba; Jamaica. (Replaced in southwestern United States and western Mexico by 

 P. rubra cooperi.) 



Sp. Chak. Bill nearly as long as the liead. without any median tooth. Tail nearly 

 even, or slightly rounded. Adult male. Rich vermilion-red. the upper parts duller and 

 darker. Bill (in fresh specimens), varying from light pinkish, more salmon-colored on 

 mandible and darker on culmen, to wax-yellow, the maxilla more olive, with darker cul- 

 men; iris brown; feet lilac-gray. Ailnlt female. Yellowish olive above, light ochrey 

 yellow beneath. Bill, etc., as in the male. Total length, 7.45-7.95; extent, 11.50-12.25; 

 wing. 3.70-3.95; tail, 2.90-3.15. 



The male requires several years to attain the full plumage, im- 

 mature inclivicluals sho\ving a mixture of red and yellow, in relative 

 proportions according to the age. Some females show more or less 

 of red, one (No. 82,216, U. S. Nat. Mus.) shot at Wheatland, Indiana, 

 May 21, 1881, having the plumage more than one half red, the red 

 color being of gi-eater extent, m fact, than on the male, which was 

 killed by the same shot ! The tint of the red is very peculiar, 

 however, being of dull Chinese orange, instead of pure rosy ver- 

 milion, as in the male. 



In at least the southern half of Illinois the Summer Eedbird is 

 an abundant species in dry upland woods. It is moreover a very 

 familiar species, nesting habitually in trees along the roadside and 

 even m the midst of towns. For this reason it is much more fre- 

 quently seen than the Scarlet Tanager, of wliich it is supposed by 

 many people to be a variety or special plumage. Besides being a 

 more abundant and familiar species, its notes are much louder. 

 The ordinary one sounds like pa-chip-it-tut-tut-tid, or, as Wilson ex- 

 presses it, chicky-chucky-chnck. The song resembles in its general 



