37-' PERCHING BIRDS. 



among cotton-woods along the streams, at an elevation of about seven thousand five 

 hundred feet, and much more abundantly among the pines, up to nine thousand 

 feet and even ten thousand feet above sea level. He afterwards observed that it 

 was common in Southern Arizona, and found it lingering along the Gila River, 

 even so late as the middle of October, at which time nearly all these birds had 

 migrated southward. As others had done, he noted the close similarity that 

 obtains between this and the scarlet tanager. "It is busy the whole time gleaning 

 from among the pines and spruces the larger beetles and insects which infest them, 

 and generally keeps well up among the higher branches, whence it makes its 

 presence known by occasional bursts of melody." Dr. George Suckley gave the 

 following account of this species: — "The beautiful Louisiana tanager is quite 

 abundant in certain seasons in the vicinity of Fort Steilacoom. In 1854 but a 

 limited number made their appearance, while, on the contrary, in the summer of 

 1856 I could readily have obtained a hundred specimens. I have had frequent 

 opportunities of studying their habits, and have never yet seen them descend to 

 ground as stated by Nuttall, the reverse being the rule (at least at Paget 

 Sound): the difficulty being generally to find the bird sufficiently low down on 

 fir-tree branches to allow fine shot to reach it with any degree of certainty. . . . 

 The favourite habitat of the species, in those localities where I have observed it, 

 is among the tall, red fir trees belonging to that magnificent species, the Abies 

 douglasi. They seemingly prefer the edges of the forest, rarely retiring to its 

 depths unless for concealment when alarmed. In early summer, at Fort Steilacoom, 

 they are generally seen during the middle of the day, sunning themselves in the 

 firs, occasionally darting from one of these trees to another, or to some of the 

 neighbouring white oaks on the prairies. Later in the season the}' may be seen 

 very actively flying about in quest of insect food for their young. Both sexes 

 during the breeding-season arc much less shy: the males during the daytime 

 frequently sitting on sane law limb, rendering the scene joyous with their 

 delightful melody." The eggs of this tanager are green, sparingly dotted with 

 very dark purplish brown, 

 wwte capped One of the loveliest of the family is the white-capped tanager 



Tanager. (StephaTvophorws leucocephalus), a summer visitor to Argentina, where, 

 says Mr. W. H. Hudson, '"it makes its appearance in spring in the woods bordering on 

 the Plata River, and is usually seen singlj^ or in pairs. The nest is built in a tree ten 

 or twelve feet from the ground, and is somewhat shallow and lined with soft dry 

 grass. The female lays four eggs, white and spotted with red. During incubation 

 the male sits concealed in the thick foliage close by, amusing itself by the hour 

 with singing, its performance consisting of chattering disconnected notes, uttered 

 in so low a tone as to make one fancy that the bird is merely trying to recall 

 some melody it has forgotten, or endeavouring to construct a new one by jerking 

 out a variety of sounds at random. The bird never gets beyond this unsatis- 

 factory stage, however, and must be admired for its exquisite beauty alone." 

 Azara named this species the " Blue White-Headed Beautiful," and the term 

 was justified, for the entire plumage of both sexes is a lovely deep corn-flower 

 blue, surmounted by a cap of silvery-white feathers : a crimson spot ornamenting 

 the forehead, looking like a drop of blood. 



