PERCHING BIRDS — TYRANTS 347 



the species known as Thryothorus ludovicianus and T. bewicki, called in some 

 districts mocking-birds, although this name is more usually given to the members 

 of the genus Miraus on account of their skill in imitating the human voice. One 

 species of the latter group, the common cat-bird (31. carolinensis), is moreover 

 renowned as a songster. In size it is somewhat smaller than a song-thrush, 

 and is bluish grey in colour with the head black and the under surface of 

 the tail chestnut. Although tits and creepers are fairly common in the United 

 States, but very few larks are present in America, where pipits are likewise 

 scarce. 



Several kinds of bunting have their home in North America, where the 

 cardinals are conspicuous members of the finch group. One of these is the red 

 cardinal (Cardinalis virginianus) of the southern States and Mexico, a beautiful 

 scarlet bird with an agreeable song, commonly called the Virginian nightingale. 

 Another well-known species, the indigo-bird (Cyanospiza cyanea), of a deep blue 

 colour and about the size of a linnet, ranges from the United States into Central 

 America, its relative the nonpareil, or painted bunting (C. ciris), being confined to 

 the southern United States. The sparrow-buntings (Zonotrichia) constitute 

 another group restricted to North America. 



The place of the weaver-birds and starlings of the Old World is taken in 

 America by the so-called hangnests, of which the purple troupial (Quiscalus pur- 

 pureas) is perhaps the best known member, at least on the Atlantic seaboard. 

 Another familiar representative of the group is, however, the Baltimore oriole 

 (Icterus galbula). Allied to these is the bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), which 

 builds a carelessly constructed nest on the ground, and thus departs widely in 

 habits from the others. The cow-birds (Molothrus), which also belong to the same 

 group, generally frequent marshy plains and pastures, where they pick the parasites 

 from cattle ; they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, after the fashion of 

 the cuckoo. 



Among the crow tribe, the raven is widely distributed in North America ; but 

 the carrion crow is represented by an allied species, as is also the magpie, whose 

 near relative the Californian magpie (Pica nuttalli) is distinguished by having a 

 yellow back. The crested jay (Cyanocitta macrolopha), so common in the extensive 

 coniferous forests of the western States, belongs to an exclusively American group. 

 On the other hand, the American shrike (Lanius borealis) represents the great grey 

 shrike of Europe, of which it is sometimes considered to be only a local form. With 

 the greenlets we come to another exclusively North American group, the best 

 known species of which is the white - eyed flycatcher ( Vireo novceboracensis). 

 Neither the flycatchers nor the waxwings are numerous in North America, although 

 the latter possess a noteworthy representative in the cedar-bird (Ampelis cedrorum). 

 The North American representatives of the swallow tribe include the European 

 sand-martin and the purple martin (Progne purpurea), the latter of which 

 is peculiar on account of its habit of nesting for the most part in hollow 

 trees, 



Tyrants Passing on to a totally different group, mention may be made of 



Humming-Birds, the pipiri (Tyrannus pipiri), a member of the group of tyrants 



00 pec ers.e c. remar k; a k] e on account of its unusually long and forked tail. The 



