252 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



May 18, 1882, I shot seven adult males feeding- in oak (Quercus) and 

 hickory (Gary a) trees, and found all to have fed exclusively on coleop- 

 terous insects (beetles). On May 13, 1883, I killed thirteen tanagers, 

 twelve being adult males, in a large woods on the property of William 

 Williams Jr., Willistown, Pa. The birds were all shot in the forenoon 

 and while feeding in the maple (Acer) and hickory (Car yd) trees. An 

 examination of the stomachs of this series of birds, made by myself and 

 Mr. Williams, showed that black-colored beetles and no other food had 

 been taken. 



Piranga rubra (LINN.). 



Summer Tanager. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Is a trifle larger than the Scarlet Tanager. The adult male is a " rose-red " or ver- 

 milion color ; wings and tail feathers are same color as body (unexposed portions 

 of wing feathers, also ends of primaries and secondaries, dusky); adult female is 

 greenish or brownish-olive above, lower parts lighter. This bird, like the Scarlet 

 Tanager, is subject to great variations in plumage. 



Habitat. Eastern United States, north regularly to southern New Jersey, Ohio, 

 Illinois, etc., casually north to Connecticut and Ontario, etc., and accidentally to 

 IS ova Scotia. In winter south to Cuba, Central America, etc. 



The Summer Tanager is a very rare and irregular summer visitor in 

 Pennsylvania. May 25, 1876, I saw a pair of these birds, and October 

 10, 1889, I saw a female, all in West Chester. Early in April these tan- 

 agers arrive in Florida from their wintering resorts in the tropics. 

 Food similar to that of the Scarlet Tanager. 



FAMILY HIRUNDINIDJB. SWALLOWS. 



THE SWALLOWS. 



Swallows feed exclusively* on insects. They consume myriads of flies which so 

 pester our horses and cattle, or sorely vex the tidy housewife. They have a lively 

 and not unmusical twitter, but no song. Swallows are remarkable for their socia- 

 bility at all times ; they migrate in flocks, sometimes numbering thousands, and 

 nest together often in large companies. Living as they do almost constantly on the 

 wing, they visit nearly every locality, generally, however, when feeding and mi- 

 grating, they frequent mostly ponds, rivers, streams and watery places in fields and 

 meadows, where various kinds of winged insects are so plentiful. They frequently 

 are seen to stop for an instant to drink and bathe when skimming over the water's 

 surface. In clear weather these birds often ascend to high elevations in the air, but 

 in dull weather, particularly before rains, they fly low and sail close to the ground. 

 With the exception of two species, all our swallows lay pure white and unspotted 

 eggs. The eggs of these two species, the Cliff and Barn Swallows are white, 

 speckled or spotted with reddish-brown, and so alike are the eggs of these two birds, 

 that they cannot with absolute certainty be distinguished apart. The usual comple- 

 ment of eggs of each of our species is five, sometimes six, but very seldom do we 



* In two instances I have found in the stomachs of Tree Swallows a few seeds, apparently of berries : 

 possibly this species sometimes feeds on small fruits. 



