SCAELET TANAGEE. 



PYRANGA RUBRA. 



THE tanager, the Baltimore oriole's only rival in 

 beauty, is the less active, the less vigorous charmer 

 of the two, and has less vocal power; but it would be 

 difficult to imagine a more pleasing and delicate exhibi- 

 tion of a bird to both eye and ear than that presented by 

 this singer, in scarlet and black, as he stands on the 

 limb of some tall tree in the early sun, shining, and 

 singing, high above the earth, his brief, plaintive, morn- 

 ing song. The tanager's is an unobtrusive song, while the 

 percussive, ringing tones of the oriole compel attention. 

 The tanager can sing in the forest with only his fellow- 

 birds for audience ; the oriole must be out, near the earth, 

 among men, to be seen and heard of them. 



For three successive years I found the tanagers in three 

 different States, but not a note from one of them. In the 

 spring of 1888, however, a beautiful singer greeted me, 

 one summer morning, from the top of a tall oak near the 

 house. He paid frequent visits to the same tree-top dur- 

 ing the entire season, and generally sang the same song, 

 beginning and ending with the same tones : 



