ONTARIO. 



Genus PASSERINA Vieillot. 



229. PASSERINA CYANEA (Linn.)- -^98. 



Indigo Bunting. 



Adult male, indigo blue, intense and constant on the head, glancing 

 grfeenish, with different lights on other parts ; wings and tail blackish, glossed 

 with greenish-blue feathers around base of bill black ; bill dark above, 

 rather paler below, with acurious blackstripealongthegonys. Female, above 

 plain warm brown ; below whitey-brown, obsoletely streaky on the breast 

 and sides; wing-coverts and inner quills pale edged, but not whitish ; upper 

 mandible blackish, lower pale, with the black stripe just mentioned. The 

 young male is like the female, but soon shows blue traces, and afterwards is 

 blue, with white variegation below. Length, 5^ ; wing, 2^ ; tail, 2^^. 



Hab. Eastern United States, south in winter to Veragua. 



Nest, in a bush, composed of leaves and grass. 



Eggs, 4 to 5 ; white, tinged with blue, sometimes speckled with reddish- 

 brown. 



About the 15th of May the Indigo arrives from tlie south 

 and at once commences to deHver his musical message, such as 

 it is, with considerable animation. While so engaged he is 

 usually perched on the upper twig of a dead limb within hearing 

 of the female, who is of retiring habits and seeks to elude 

 observation among the briars and underbrush. 



It is rather a tender species, and probably does not penetrate 

 far north into Ontario. It is not mentioned either b}/ Prof. 

 Macoun or Mr. Seton as having been seen by them in the North- 

 west, and by the middle of September they have all disappeared 

 from Southern Ontario. The rich plumage and lively manners 

 of the male make him quite conspicious while here ; a favorite 

 resort of the species near Hamilton being about the railroad 

 track, near the waterworks reservoir. 



Individuals vary considerably in the regularity of their 

 coloring and in the intensity of the blue, but a male in rich 

 spring p] uncage is a very handsome little bird. 



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