492 HISTORY OF THE 



Passerina ciris (Lixx.). 



PAINTED BUNTING. 

 PLATE XXIX. 



A summer resident in southern Kansas; quite common in the 

 Gypsum Hills, and along the timbered streams in Barber and 

 Comanche counties. Arrive the last of April to first of May; 

 begin laying the last of May; leave in September. 



B. 384. R. 251. C. 292. G. , 248. U. 601. 



HABITAT. South Atlantic and Gulf States; north to North 

 Carolina and southern Kansas; south in winter through eastern 

 Mexico to Panama (in the winter of 1883 I found them very 

 common in western Guatemala); breeding from the Gulf coast 

 northward. 



SP. CHAR. "Male: Head and neck all round ultramarine blue, excepting a 

 narrow stripe from the chin to the breast, which, with the under parts generally, 

 the eyelids and the rump (which is tinged with purplish), are vermilion red. 

 Edges of chin, loral region, greater wing coverts, inner tertiary and interscapu- 

 lar region green; the middle of the latter glossed with yellow. Tail feathers, 

 lesser wing coverts and outer webs of quills purplish blue. Female: Clear dark 

 green above, yellowish beneath. Youug like female. 



"Tail very slightly emarginated and rounded; second, third and fourth quills 

 e^ual; first rather shorter than fifth. 



"The female is readily distinguishable from that of P. cyanea by the green 

 instead of dull brown of the back, and the yellow of the under parts." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5.50 9.00 2.85 2.50 .70 .41 



Female... 5.30 8.55 2.65 2.0> .70 .40 



Iris brown; eyelids red; bill upper and tips of lower dusky, 

 rest blue; legs and feet dark lead color; claws brown. 



These birds, of rich and almost unrivaled plumage, inhabit 

 the thickets and edges of woodlands, preferring the hedges, deep 

 ravines, and streams fringed with thick undergrowth. They are 

 very shy and retiring, but not restless or timid, and soon become 

 accustomed to confinement, and are much prized as cage birds, 

 more on account of their beautiful dress than their song, which 

 is a low, melodious warble, much inferior to that of the Cana- 

 ries. Complaint is often made that birds moulting in confine- 

 ment come out with a much duller plumage than in the wild 

 state; but this is not the case when given plenty of sunlight, 



