Tanager SONG-BIRDS. 



Breeds : Through its United States range. 



Nest : Rather flat and ragged ; made of sticks, root fibres, etc. ; placed 



on the high horizontal branch, preferably of an oak or pine. 

 Eggs : 3-5, dull green, thickly spotted with brown and mauve. 

 Eange : Eastern United States, west to the Plains, and north to 



southern Canada ; in winter the West Indies, Central America, 



and northern South America. 



A few years ago the Scarlet Tanager was as familiar 

 hereabout as the Yellow Warbler, or the Wood Thrush; 

 but now it has, in a great measure, left the gardens and 

 frequented woodlands, and become the resident of lonely 

 woods. Together with all of our brilliantly plumed birds, 

 it has been persecuted almost out of existence. Now that 

 this bird slaughter is against the law in all communities 

 that pretend to be civilized, the killing is at least abated, 

 but the Tanager's confidence in humanity has not yet 

 returned. 



It is impossible to mistake this bird in full spring dress, 

 for any other. His fall coat, however, is olivaceous like the 

 female, and, as for the unmoulted young, they are a motley 

 lot, mainly olive-green, but with little tufts of scarlet, yellow, 

 and bright green, appearing at random, as if they were exam- 

 ples of feather patchwork. It is easy to see the wisdom 

 that clothes the female and young of this flaming Tanager 

 in sober colours. If a brooding female wore a scarlet cover- 

 ing, it would surely betray the nest to all enemies ; and if 

 the young were likewise conspicuous, they would be gobbled 

 by Hawks before they understood that Hawks are hardly 

 friendly. 



The Tanager, though of a brilliant scarlet, lacks the 

 luminous quality that reveals the Baltimore Oriole and 

 Blackburnian Warbler, when partly concealed in dark green 

 foliage; you will be most likely to find it in a grove of 

 oaks, hickories, or swamp-maples, where there is an under- 

 growth of ferns, not briars, near by a stream or flag- 

 edged pond. It is a fruit and berry eater, as well as the 

 consumer of beetles, and other large winged insects, together 

 with many larvae. 



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