TANAGERS 445 



stems and grape vine bark, lined with fine grass. It was 

 situated in a blackberry bush in a ravine near a grain field 

 and contained three eggs of the rightful owner and two eggs 

 of the Cowbird. The Cowbird's eggs measure 0.85 x 0.65, 

 0.86 X 0.66 and the DickcissePs eggs measure 0.81 x 0.63, 

 0.85 X 0.62, 0.80 x 0.63. 



Three to six, generally four or five eggs are laid and these 

 are plain pale blue, unspotted. The nests are variously sit- 

 uated on the ground, in bushes, or even in trees up to twenty 

 feet from the ground. Nests on or near the ground seem 

 more frequent. 



Two broods are said to be reared each season, the first eggs 

 being laid in May and the second laying from late June to 

 early August. 



Pastures and fields are their favorite haunts and the males, 

 at first sight resembling male English Sparrows, may be both 

 seen and heard as perched on the grass tops or in bushes or 

 trees or on a fence rail they utter their monotonous song. 

 Minot describes the song as resembling the syllables " chip, 

 chip, che, che, che " the first two words uttered slowly and 

 the last three very rapidly. The food consists of seeds and 

 insects of the same general character as eaten by the Indigo 

 Bunting. 



Family TANAGRID^. Tanagers. 



Key to the species of TANAGRIDyE. 



A. Wing marked with two light bands or bars across the tips of the mid- 



dle and greater coverts. 



1. Plumage chiefly red and black. Louisiana Tanager (male). 



2. Plumage chiefly olive green and yellowish. Louisiana Tanager 



(female and immature). 



B. Wing not crossed by bands. 



1. Plumage partly or wholly red. 



§. Plumage wholly red or vnthout any black. Summer Tanager 



(male). 

 §§. Plumage not wholly red ; wings and tail black. Scarlet Tanager 

 (male). 



