84 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



dated that it took excellent eyesight to determine 

 which was which, as they darted about in the open 

 space that extended from their nests to the opposite 

 shore of the wide expanse of water. 



In the Tanagers, which have, so far as habits go, 

 absolutely nothing in common with swallows, we 

 have a small family or group so far as the United 

 States is concerned of gaudily-colored birds of 

 moderate size. The true home of these birds is in 

 Central and South America, and the few that we 

 have within our limits are by no means the best ex- 

 amples, if guided by mere brilliancy of color. One, 

 the Blue-headed Euphonia, is but a visitor to South- 

 ern Texas, if that, but there is no question about the 

 others. The Hepatic Tanager of Arizona and New 

 Mexico is scarcely known except to the professional 

 ornithologist, but the Scarlet Tanager and Summer 

 Red-bird are known to most people; the former mi- 

 grating into New England, the latter seldom vent- 

 uring beyond Southern Pennsylania. In the extreme 

 Western States, going north into British Columbia, is 

 the Louisiana Tanager. This is a beautiful black, 

 yellow, and red bird ; but the Eastern ones are no less 

 gayly colored ; the summer red-bird being of a uni- 

 form red; the tanager, scarlet, with black wings and tail. 

 Forty years ago the summer red-bird was a regular 

 visitor to Central New Jersey, coming in May and re- 

 maining until October. They were birds of the orchard, 

 and as such I well remember them. Wilson speaks 

 of them in a rather cold, unenthusiastic way, as if the 

 journey into Jersey from Philadelphia was too much 

 trouble, even if sight of the red-birds did reward it : 



