94 NATURAL HISTORY. 



ingress and egress are easy; or it will place its nest down the shaft of an old well, on the face of" a 

 rock or quarry, or not unfrequently in a chimney, the last-named place being doubtless selected for the 

 sake of warmtn. 



Not unfrequently, when the Swallow has carefully finished its nest, it is ousted by some stronger 

 bird, who takes possession, and forces the peaceful Swallow to construct a fresh one. Sparrows are 

 often the intruders ; but Mr. Benzon gives two instances which have come under his notice, where 

 the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola) has been the aggressor.* 



THE SEVENTH FAMILY OF FINCH-LIKE PERCHING BIRDS. 

 THE TANAGRIDJ3 TANAGERS. 



The Tanagers are entirely American, and are described by Dr. Sclater, who has studied the family 

 in detail, as Dentirostral Finches, that is, birds which, having all the essential characters of the Finch, 

 are yet so far modified as regards certain parts of their structure as to fit them for feeding, not on 

 grains and seeds, which are the usual food of the true Finches, but on soft fruits and insects, the 

 habitual food of the true Warblers. The Tanagers are mostly birds of very brilliant plumage, and 

 some of the larger kinds are not unlike the Grosbeaks of the Old World. More than three hundred 

 species are known, the greater part of them being non-tropical, though some few kinds inhabit 

 North America during the summer. Some of the most beautiful of the family are contained in the 

 genus Calliste, of which neaiiy sixty species are known to science, but very little has been recorded of 

 their habits. One of the best known, the Lesser Rufous-headed Tanager (Calliste cayana], is said to 

 be very common in British and French Guiana, living in the latter country in open spots and in the 

 vicinity of dwellings, and feeding on bananas and other fruits. It is also said to do much harm in 

 the rice-fields. 



Of the Brazilian Turquoise Tanager (Calliste braziliensis) the late Prince Maximilian of 

 Neuwied states that he met with numbers in several provinces of Eastern Brazil, but less often 

 in the forests than the more open country, which was varied with wood, and particularly at the 

 edges of the plantations. Here it goes commonly in pairs, perching generally upon the top of shrubs, 

 and feeding on fruits. In the month of November the Prince found a nest of this Tanager placed in a 

 thick bush in a fork formed by the separation of four branches, and built after the fashion of that of the 

 Chaffinch (FringiMa ccelebs). It was constructed very neatly of wool, nearly all white, only varied 

 with a few watlets and moss and bark interwoven, and lined within with broad threads of bark. The 

 two eggs which it contained were rather long in shape, marbled with pale reddish-violet upon a 

 white ground, and varied with a few irregular black specks and blotches.f One of the best known of 

 the family is 



THE SCARLET TANAGER (Pyranya rubra}. 



An account of the habits of this bird is given in the " History of North American Birds " by 

 Dr. Brewer : " The Scarlet Tanager is one of the most conspicuous and brilliant of all our summer 

 visitants. Elegant in its attire, retiring and modest in manners, sweet in song, and useful in its 

 destruction of hurtful insects, it well merits a cordial welcome. This Tanager is distributed over a 

 wide extent of territory, from Texas to Maine, and from South Carolina to the northern shores of 

 Lake Huron, in all which localities it breeds. A few are found once in a while as far east as Calais 

 in the spring, and they are rather occasional than common in eastern Massachusetts, but are more 

 plentiful in the western part of the State, becoming quite common about Springfield, arriving 

 May 15th, and remaining- about four months, breeding in high open woods and old orchards. In 

 South Carolina it is abundant as a migrant, though a few remain and breed in the higher lands. Mr. 

 Audubon states also that a few breed in the higher portions of Louisiana, and Dr. Heermann found 

 them breeding at El Paso in New Mexico. They ai*e far more abundant, however, in the States 

 of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and throughout the Mississippi valley, arriving early in 

 May and leaving in October. Though occasionally found in the more sparsely-settled portions of 



* Dresser: "Birds of Europe." f Sclater : Mon. Genus CaUiste, pp. 62. 



