TANAGERS 447 



which they gleaned from the foliage but can say nothing 

 definite as to the exact nature of these insects. 



252. Pirang-aerythromelasYieill. Scarlet Tanager ; Pocket 

 Bird. 



Plumage of adult male in summer : under wing coverts white ; wings and 

 tail black ; otherwise bright scarlet. Plumage of adult male in winter : wings 

 and tail black ; upper parts light olive green ; under parts greenish yellow ; 

 under wing coverts white. Plumage of female : under wing coverts white ; 

 upper parts light olive green ; wings and tail fuscous ; yellow with greenish 

 tinge below. Wing 3.70 ; culmen 0.56 ; tail 2.98. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, west to the Plains and north to New 

 Brunswick, southern Ontario and Manitoba; wintering in Mexico, West 

 Indies, Central and northern South America. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; rare migrant, (Johnson). Aroostook; 

 rare at Houlton, (Batchelder, B. N. O. C. 7, p. Ill) ; generally rather regular 

 in southern sections, (Knight). Cumberland; rare, (Mead). Frankin;rare 

 summer resident, (Swain). Hancock; summer resident, (Dorr). Kennebec ; 

 very rare summer resident, (Robbins). Knox; rare migrant, (Rackliff). 

 Oxford; breeds, (Nashj. Penobscot; usually rare in southern sections but 

 occasionally sporadic and common, as in spring of 1906, while in northern 

 section it is usually regular but rare, (Knight). Piscataquis ; rare, breeds, 

 (Homer) ; three found dead near Milo, May 29, 1906, (Cooper). Sagadahoc ; 

 four specimens in spring, (Spinney). Somerset; it occurs in the northern 

 sections and is probably regular though rare, (Knight). Waldo; rare, 

 (Spratt); quite a few in late May, 1906, (Knight). Washington; rare sum- 

 mer resident, (Boardman). York; rare, sometimes breeds, (Adams). 



In spring they usually arrive about May thirteenth to 

 twentieth, according to season and depart about the middle of 

 September. As a general rule the species is rare in Maine, 

 but in late May, 1906, there was a regular influx of individuals 

 through the Penobscot Valley and in other sections of the State. 



Though rarer than the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the dis- 

 tribution of the Tanager is very similar, it being inclined to 

 occur most regularly in the same general regions as the Gros- 

 beak does. Their ordinary call is a harsh "chip-chir-r-r" I 

 have never happened to hear one sing but the song of the male 

 is described reminding one of the notes of the Robin or Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak, though having also a harshness of tone. 



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