Family Fringillidce Indigo Bunting 97 



caped and remained near, so that " on the approach 

 of other birds, by cries of alarm, or by flying with 

 them and leading them away, it succeeded in keep- 

 ing almost every bird from the net." This lasted 

 for upwards of an hour, until finally the little crea- 

 ture was shot. 



Nests are built about houses, behind blinds, in 

 street-lamps, and other similar places. They are 

 said to begin nests even in the winter. There are 

 four to six broods in a year, and five or six young 

 in a brood. 



The only notes are the chirps and twitterings 

 which may be heard almost constantly. 



LITERATURE : 



Birdways. OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 



47. INDIGO BUNTING; INDIGO-BIRD 



{Passerina cyanea.) 



Male : metallic greenish blue above and below ; wings and tail 

 dark, nearly black ; bill conical ; upper mandible dark, lower 

 one horn-colored ; feet black. Bird about two-thirds the size of 

 a sparrow. Female : upper parts olive-brown ; under parts 

 whitish brown streaked with darker; wings dusky. 



THIS brilliant little bird may be found on the 

 edges of woods, and even in trees along the road- 

 side. It is, however, not easy to observe, owing to 



