THE BLUE-BIRD. 175 



FAMILY SAXICOLID^E. 1 THE ROCK INHABITERS. 



Wings very long and much pointed, reaching beyond the middle of the short 

 square or emarginated tail, and one and a half times or more the length of the 

 latter; the spurious primary very short, the second quill longer than the fourth; in 

 the closed wing, the outer secondary reaches only about two-thirds the length of the 

 longest primary. 



SIALIA, SWAINSON. 



Sialia, SWAINSON, Zool. Jour., III. (Sept., 1827) 173. (S. Wils&nil) 

 Bill short, stout, broader than high at the base, then compressed, slightly notched 

 at tip; rictus with short bristles; tarsi not longer than the middle toe; claws con- 

 siderably curved ; wings much longer than the tail, the first primary spurious, not 

 one-fourth the longest ; tail moderate, slightly forked. 



SIALIA SIALIS. Baird. 

 H^The Blue-bird; Red-breasted Blue-bird. 



Motadlla sialis, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1758) 187. Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. 

 (1788) 989. 



Sylvia sialis, Latham. Index Orn., II. (1790) 522. Wilson, Am. Orn., I. (1808) 56. 

 Aud. Orn. Biog., II. (1834) 84; V. (1839) 452. 



Ampelis sialis, Nuttall. Man., I. (1832) 444. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Entire upper parts, including wings and tail, continuous and uniform azure-blue, 

 the cheeks of a duller tint of the same ; beneath reddish-brown ; the abdomen, anal 

 region, and under tail coverts white ; bill and feet black ; shafts of the quills and 

 tail feathers black ; female with the blue lighter, and tinged with brown on the head 

 and back. 



Length, six and seventy-five one-hundredths inches ; wing, four inches ; tail, two 

 and ninety one-hundredths inches. 



THIS beautiful bird is a very common summer inhabitant 

 of all New England. It is one of the earliest in its 

 arrival from the South, often making its appearance by the 

 middle of March, sometimes even earlier. About the middle 

 of April, immediately after mating, the birds commence pre- 

 paring their nest : this is made in a deserted woodpecker's 



* I have adopted the arrangement given by Professor Baird in his recent review, 

 in this family and the succeeding, as far as SYLVICOLID^E. 



