250 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



Habitat. Eastern United States (chiefly west of the Alleghanies), west to the 

 Rooky mountains, north to Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 and south in winter through Central America to northern South America. 



Tolerably common summer resident from May until about 1st of Sep- 

 tember in some sections of the southeastern, southern and western coun- 

 ties of Pennsylvania ; rare, or at least not reported to occur, in the north- 

 ern counties or the mountainous regions of the state. The nest, of weeds, 

 grasses, etc., is usually placed near the ground in weeds or bushes ; eggs, 

 four or five in number, are pale blue ; they measure about .80 by .60. 

 The Dickcissel feeds on seeds and sometimes on small berries, and in 

 the summer he destroys numerous kinds of insects. 



FAMILY TANAGRID-ffi. TANAGEBS. 



GENUS PIRANGA VIEILLOT. 

 Piranga erythromelas VIEILL. 



Scarlet Tanager ; Black-winged Red-bird. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate <?7). 



Length about 7 ; extent about 12 ; wing about 3 ; tail about 3 inches. Bill bluish 

 or brownish-yellow ; legs and feet lead color ; iris brown. 



Habitat. Eastern United States, west to the plains, and north to southern Canada. 

 In winter the West Indies, Central America and northern South America. 



The Scarlet Tanager, one of the most brilliant of our forest birds, is 

 about the size of the common bluebird. The wings and tail of the adult 

 male are glossy black; body and other parts bright scarlet. The female 

 is a greenish-yellow color, with wing and tail feathers dark brown. This 

 description applies to full plumaged adults as we find them in the spring 

 and early summer. Both sexes are, however, subject to great variations 

 in plumage, and particularly is this variation noticeable in the male 

 birds. It is stated that in the autumn the male loses its bright feathers 

 and is found in a livery similar to that of the female. "While I am not 

 prepared to say that such a transition occurs during the " fall molt," I 

 am inclined to believe that this change does take place. During the 

 late summer months and early autumn, or for a period of about six weeks 

 before the tanagers leave Pennsylvania, I have made repeated and 

 most diligent search to find adult males in which the scarlet feathers 

 predominated, as is invariably the case with the males in spring, but 

 have failed. Although it is true I have seen two or three males early in 

 August with a few scattered feathers or " patches " of scarlet, I have 

 found the plumage of the males, late in August and in September, to be 

 the same as that of the females, except that in the males certain of the 

 long wing and tail feathers were black. The presence of these dark 

 primaries or tail feathers will, it is my opinion, with rare exceptions, 

 enable you to determine the sex.* 



* The only proper way to determine the sex is by dissection. This Is true not only of the Tanager, but 

 all other birds. 



