348 NOTES ON THE 



Family TANAGRID^E. 



PIRANGA ERYTHROMELAS Vieillot. (608.) 

 SCARLET TANAGER. 



This is truly a wonderful bird. Its striking colors are with- 

 out a precedent in this latitude, and it is a marked exception 

 to the rule that the higher the colors the lower the measure of 

 the melody of the song, for it sings absolutely beautifully. 



I have had the rare pleasure of listening to its strains under 

 circumstances most favorable to avoid accrediting the wrong 

 warbler. I am not a little surprised that so few writers men- 

 tion any other note but the "chip, chur-r-r-r" originally given 

 by Wilson I think. One or two have discovered a series of 

 modulations resembling the song of the Robin "only softer, 

 and less copious and fluent. " I also read of the performance 

 of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak "strongly resembling the finest 

 of the Robin's" but in the memory of the beautiful melodies 

 of the Scarlet Tanager, I have no comparison which 

 would not grossly mislead. The best approximation would 

 be the liquid sweetness and copiousness of the best efforts 

 of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, with scarcely any inflec- 

 tions or modulations belonging to the same class of song 

 as the Robin's. I never attempted more than a snatch of 

 the closing notes of the exquisite peroration of its melodious 

 undulations, which I can but faintly describe at the 

 best. Closing an effort which had been prolonged about as 

 long as the longest of the Grosbeak's, it seems most nearly to 

 resemble, to loit-to ivhei^e-iuheedle, luheedle- wee-woo wit. The first 

 two notes with an upward, but gentle inflection, the next two 

 downward, the next two and two following with a slight roll 

 and the upward and downward marked in "wee-woo" by cor- 

 responding inflection and deflection ending with an abrupt 

 upward "wit." 



Not an approximation towards an unmelodious note in the 

 whole strain, delivered with deliberation, and a restful com- 

 pleteness of volume. It has an undoubted right in the calendar 

 of the genuine song birds. 



It arrives about May 10th usually, although much earlier in 

 extremely premature seasons. I have one good record for April 

 4th. I mention this because so very exceptional. Rev. Father 

 Gear, who was the earliest army chaplain ever stationed at Ft. 



