THE ENGLISH SPARROW AND ITS ALLIES 293 



woods, and feed on berries and fruits. The northernmost 

 member of the family is the scarlet tanager of the eastern 

 United States (Fig. 277). 



The Icteridae include numerous species with different 

 habits. These are also confined to America, and are 

 especially abundant in the tropics. They feed, for the 



FIG. 277. Scarlet tanager (Pimnya erythomelas}. 



most part, on seeds. The commonest representatives are 

 the crow blackbird, 1 of large size and iridescent plumage ; 

 the Baltimore oriole, which weaves a hanging nest ; the 

 orchard oriole, with less orange than the preceding ; the 

 large meadow-lark, brownish above and yellow below ; 

 the red- winged blackbird ; the cow-bird, which builds no 

 nest but lays its eggs in the nests of various small birds ; 



