76 THE SECOND BOOK OF BIRDS 
summer. Towards fall he turns from scarlet 
to green like his mate, and he is a droll-look- 
ing object while he does it. He seems to break 
out into green patches or streaks. One that I 
watched began by showing a little green feather 
among the red on each side of his breast. I 
have seen one with a green ring around the 
neck, and all the rest of the plumage scarlet ; 
and another with a green stripe down the back. 
Some show no regularity about it, but are cov- 
ered with green patches all over, and look like 
bunches of colored rags. 
It is no wonder that a bird hides in the woods, 
as many do, when changing his coat, if he looks 
such an object. In spring he gets back his bril- 
liant coat, and comes to our Northern woods 
again, to nest. 
The nest of this bird is not very high in a 
tree. It is a rather shabby affair, that looks as 
if it would fall to pieces, and the birds are madly 
shy about being looked at. 
I once saw in the woods a tanager building 
her nest. I hoped to watch her through nest- 
ing, and see how she brought up her little folk. 
Both of the pair were there, but were too shy to 
come to the nest while my friend and I were 
there. We kept very still, and even hid in some 
bushes, hoping she would not see us. We were 
