TANAGRID.E — THE TANAGERS. 



435 



and along sides. Whole pileum, from bill to nape and down to the 

 upper edge of lores, eyes, and auriculars, wings, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail, dark purplish-red. Whole throat dilute vermilion, or rose-pink 

 sharply defined; crissum and lining of wings a paler shade of the same. 

 Wing, 3.05 ; tail, 2.75 ; bill, from nostril, .45 ; its depth at the base, .40, 

 its breadth, .30 ; tarsus, .80. Hah. Yucatan. 



Pyranga rubra, Vieill. 



THE SCARLET TANAGER. 



Tanacjra rubra, Lixn. I, 1766, 314. — Gmelin, I, 1788, 889. — Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 

 1810, 42; pi. xi, f. 3, 4. — AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 388; pi. cccliv. Pyranga 

 rubra, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, iv ; pi. i, f. 12 (Head.). — Swainson, F. 

 Bor. Am. II, 1831, 273. — BoN. List. 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 18,50. —Aud. Syn. 

 1839, 136. — Ib. Birds Am. II, 1841, 226 ; pi. cci.x. — Sclateu, Pr. Zobl. Soc. 1855, 

 156. — Ib. 1856, 123. — Max. Cab. Jom\ VI, 1858, 270. — Samuels, 251. Plwenisoma, 

 rubra, Sw. Birds, II, 1837, 284. Pkosnkosoma rubra. Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 24. 

 Pyranga crylhrovtelas, Vieillot, "Encyc. Meth. 800.'" — Ib. Nouv. Diet. XXVIII, 

 1817, 293. 



Sp. Char. Bill shorter than the head. Second quill longest; first and third a little 

 shorter. Tail moderately forked. Mule. Whole head and body continuous, pure, intense 

 scarlet, the feathers white beneath the surface, and grayish at the roots. Wings and tail, 

 with the scapulars, uniform intense black ; the middle-coverts sometimes partly red, form- 

 ing an interrupted band. Lining of wing white. A blackish tinge along sides of the 

 rump, concealed by wings. Bill pea-green ; iris brown ; tarsi and toes dull blue. Female- 

 Olive-green above, yellowish beneath. Wing and tail feathers brown, edged Avith oliva- 

 ceous. Length, 7.40 ; wing, 4.00 ; tail, 3.00. 



Hab. Eastern Province North America, north to Winnepeg (west to El Paso ? Heer- 

 mann). In winter, south to Ecuador (Rio Napo, Scl.). Bogota (Sol.) Cuba (Scl, & 

 Gundl.) ; Jamaica (Scl. & Gosse) ; Panama (Lawr.) ; Costa Rica (Lawr.) : Vera Cruz 

 (winter, Sumiciirast). 



At least three years seem to be re- ^^ "-"j 



quired for the assumption of the per- 

 fect plumage of the male. In the first 

 year the young male is like the female, 

 but has black wings and tail ; in the 

 fall red feathers begin to make their 

 appearance, and the following spring 

 the red predominates in patches. 



Habits. The Scarlet Tanager is one 

 of the most conspicuous and brilliant 

 of all our summer visitants. Elegant 

 in its' attire, retiring and modest in 

 manners, sweet in song, and useful in 

 its destruction of liurtful insects, it 

 well merits a cordial welcome. This 

 Tanager is distributed over a wide extent of territory, from Texas to Maine, 

 and from South Carolina to the northern shores of Lake Huron, in all whicli 



Pyranga ludoficiana. 



