THE SCARLET TANAGER. 



AYhat could be more beautiful 

 to see than this bird among the 

 green leaves of a tree ? It almost 

 seems as though he would kindle 

 the dry limb upon which he 

 perches. This is his holiday 

 dress. He wears it during the 

 nesting season. After the young 

 are reared and the summer 

 months gone, he changes his 

 coat. We then find him dressed 

 in a dull yellowish green — the 

 color of his mate the whole year. 



Do you remember another bird 

 family in which the father bird 

 changes his dress each spring 

 and autumn? 



The Scarlet Tanager is a soli- 

 tary bird. He likes the deep 

 woods, and seeks the topmost 

 branches. He likes, too, the 

 thick evergreens. Here he sings 

 through the summer days. We 

 often pass him by for he is hid- 

 den by the green leaves above us. 



He is sometimes called our 

 '' Bird of Paradise." 



Tanagers feed upon winged 

 insects, caterpillars, seeds, and 

 berries. To get these they do 

 not need to be on the ground. 

 For this reason it is seldom we 

 see them there. 



Both birds work in building 

 the nest, and both share in car- 

 ing for the little ones. The 

 nest is not a very pretty one — 

 not pretty enough for so beauti- 

 ful a bird, I think. It is woven 

 so loosely that if you were stand- 

 ing under it, you could see light 

 through it. 



Notice his strong, short beak. 

 Now turn to the picture of the 

 Kose-Breasted Grosbeaks in 

 April Birds. Do you see how 

 much alike they are? They are 

 near relatives. 



I hope that you may all have 

 a chance to see a Scarlet Tana- 

 ger dressed in his richest scar- 

 let and most jetty black. 



217 



