171 



ZTbe BlacF^^bacf^D ITanaoer. 



(^Calliste iiielanonatd). 



B}' S. M. TOWNSKND. 



IN October last I had a letter from a dealer asking- 

 nie to call on liini, as he had two very rare 

 Tanagers for sale. I went, I saw, and I was 

 conquered. One was the Black-backed Tanager, 

 and the other belonged to the Euphonia fannl}^ but 

 unfortunately it had a broken leg, and so I became the 

 possessor of the Black-backed Tanager only. 



When I first had him I thought the name Black- 

 backed Tanager was very unsuitable, and did not 

 describe the bird at all, as the black on the back 

 decidedly wants looking for, whereas the colour on the 

 head is very striking. I therefore almost decided ta 

 call him the Rufus-headed Tanager, but on second 

 thoughts I came to the conclusion, that, as he had! 

 been identified at the British Museum, it would be 

 misleading to do so, as he already had an English 

 name. 



The beauty of his colouring can be seen from the 

 illustration, which Mr. Goodchild has taken great 

 trouble to make perfect, but no living artist could 

 possibly portray the different shades of the head when 

 seen from different aspects, or reproduce the brilliant 

 sheen, like burnished copper, when the sun is on it. 



His staple food is fruit. When I first brought him 

 home he would not eat anything else, and quite des- 

 pised the insectile food, but now he will eat a little, 

 and sometimes a little soaked sponge cake, but he i» 

 very fond of grapes and any small insect, such as a 

 spider or small mealworm. 



He was very wild and restless when I first had 

 him, but is much more friendly now, and, when yon 

 are feeding him, takes a decided interest in what you 

 are giving him. I have great hopes that when he gets 

 over the moult, which he is in the middle of at present. 



