TANAGEIDJi:. 49 



Family TANAGRID^. 



The Tauagers are another family of nine-primaried Oscines 

 characteristic of the Neotropical llegion, to which, with the ex- 

 ception of some species of Pt/ranga that visit North America in 

 summer, they are altogether resti'icted. Thej' are mostly birds of 

 small size, the largest Fiti/U and Saltatores barely exceeding a Song- 

 Thrush, and the smallest being some of the Euphonuv, which are 

 hardly four inches in length. In essential structure the Tanagers 

 are closely allied to the Finches, and it is in many cases exceedingly 

 difficult, if not impossible, to draw a line between the two grou])S 

 (compare some of the Buarremoncs with Atlapetcs). On the other 

 hand, some of the Tanagers have also nearlj' equally close relations 

 with the Miilotilfidie and the derebidce ; and I do not think it is at 

 present practicable to give any absolute characters which would serve 

 to differentiate the birds of these three families in all cases. 



As a general rule the Tanagers are separable from the Finches by 

 the possession of a notch near the end of the upper mandil)le, 

 and may therefore be called " Dentirostral Finches." Eut this 

 notch is obsolete or scarcely apparent in certain genera (e. g. Chlo- 

 rochrysa and Arremoii), while it is very strongly developed in 

 others {Taclv/phonus and Lanio). The principal food of the typical 

 Tanagers appears to be ripe fruit, and in the case of the Euphoidince 

 (see p. 53) the digestive organs seem to have undergone a very 

 peculiar modification from long persistence in this diet ; but other 

 Tanagers feed on seeds and grain after the manner of Finches. 



Certain genera of Tanagers [CJtJorochri/sa, Calliste, Mhamphoccelm, 

 Pi/ranga) are remarkable, even in the Ornis of South America, for the 

 rich colours of their plumage. In some cases (Pt/ranga and Rliamplio- 

 coelns) this brilliancy is confined to the male sex ; in others {Calliste, 

 C'Jilorochrgsa, &c.) the sexes are nearly alike in brilliant colouring. 



Keg to the Suhfconilit'S. 



A. ]3ill very short, much broadened at 



the base ; upper mandible hooked, 

 slightly notched : wings long ; first 

 three primaries nearly equal and 

 longest; tail moderate I. PROCNIATIN.E, p. 50. 



B. Bill short, swollen at base, but not 



so mucli broadened ; upper man- 

 dible hooked, with a terminal notch 

 and usually two or three slight . 

 serrations behind it ; wings mode- 

 rate, first three primaries nearly 

 equal and longest ; tail very short ; 

 tarsus short II. EUPHONIIN.E, p. 52. 



C. Bill more lengthened, subulate, with 



a single terminal notch (sometimes 

 obsolete) on the upper mandible ; 

 tail moderate ; tarsus moderate .. III. TANAGRIN.E, ^. SQ. 



VOL. XI. E 



