6i2 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. IX. 



Adult female: Upper plumage, brown; under parts, grayish 

 brown, indistinctly streaked with darker brown; throat, brownish 

 white or whitish. 



Immature male: At first similar to the female, but later mixed 

 blue and brown ; the under parts mixed with whitish. 

 Length, 5.50; wing, 2.70; tail, 2.20; bill, .38. 



A common summer resident in Illinois and Wisconsin, being es- 

 pecially noticeable on account of the brilliant blue plumage of the male. 

 It arrives from the south in May and re- 

 mains until the latter part of September 

 and sometimes later. 



The song is varied and sweet but not 

 loud.' Alexander Wilson in describing it, 

 writes: "It mounts to the highest tops of 

 a large tree and chants for half an hour at 

 a time. Its song is not one continuous 

 strain, but a repetition of short notes, 

 commencing loud and rapid, and falling by almost imperceptible 

 gradations for six or eight seconds, till they seem hardly articulate, 

 as if the little minstrel was quite exhausted; and after a pause of 

 half a minute or less, commences again as before * * * His usual 

 note when alarmed by an approach to his nest, is a sharp chip, like 

 that of striking two hard pebbles smartly together." (Am. Orn., 

 1877, p. 100.) 



The nest is in a bush, composed of grass, leaves and shreds of 

 bark. The eggs are from 3 to 4, usually pale bluish white in color, 

 but occasinally showing a few brown spots. Size, about .73 x .54 

 inches. 



The Field Museum collection contains a series of sets of eggs 

 taken in northern Illinois between June 4 and June 24. 



277. Passerina ciris (LiNN.). 

 PAINTED BUNTING. NONPAREIL. 



Distr.: South Atlantic and Gulf states to western Texas, north 

 to North Carolina and casual or accidental to southern Illinois and 

 Kansas; in winter south through Mexico and Central America to 

 Panama. 



Adult male: Whole head (except throat) and sides of breast, 

 indigo-blue; back and scapulars, golden green; throat and under 

 parts, vermilion red; wings, dark fuscous brown, more or less glossed 

 with green; tail, fuscous brown, faintly washed with red. 



