86 CYANOSPIZA amis. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



The following 4s a description of a specimen taken at Mt. Carinel, Illinois, May 28, 1866, by Mr. R. Ridgway, 

 who has kindly written it out for me : 



"Nest, deeply saucer-shaped, the walls very thin, four inches wide by two and one-half deep externally, and 

 three by two internally. Composed entirely of fine wire grasses, the lining of grass tops. Situated at the extremity 

 of a horizontal branch of an apple tree in orchard." 



Eggs, four in number, oval in form, blue in color, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown and umber. 

 Dimensions from -85 x -70 to -90 x -75. 



HABITS. 



When the cold north winds cease to blow and the air in the piny woods is redolent with the 

 perfume of the sundew, creeping mimosa, and other delicate plants, which only bloom, even in 

 this mild climate, late in spring, the voices of the Summer Tanagers are heard in the tops of the 

 high trees, when their songs are full of wild melody in perfect keeping with the surroundings. 

 I have never met with these birds elsewhere than in the more open woods of the pine barrens, 

 where they are solitary, shy and retiring. Indeed so closely do they conceal themselves in the 

 thick foliage, that were it not for the loud song notes, which are constantly repeated, it would be 

 difficult to discover them. The males arrive about April first and are soon followed by the 

 females. I have never found a nest of this species, but judge that in Florida they must build ill 

 the tops of the pine trees. Mr. Ridgway, who is familiar with the breeding habits of this 

 species in Illinois, writes me that "the nest is usually situated at the extremity of the horizontal 

 branch of an oak or hickory tree, generally by the roadside, or in an open." The Summer 

 Red Birds have all left Florida by the end of October. 



FAMILY XV. FRINGILLID2E. THE FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



Bill more or less cone-shaped and unnotched. Coracoid bones, shorter than the top of the keel, or equal to it in length 

 out never longer. Marginal indentations equalling the height of keel. 



This family is represented largely in the Middle States, where all of the members may be recognized by the 

 conical bill, combined with the sternal characters given above, but in other countries species may be found which 

 grade into the Tanagers on the one hand, and into the Icteridte on the other. The arrangement of genera as given 

 by previous authors not being in accordance with the sternal characters, I have, after carefully studying the sterna of 

 many of our species, attempted what appears to me a more natural grouping. 



GENUS I. CYANOSPIZA. THE BLUE SPARROWS. 



GEN. CH. Coracoid bones, a little shorter than the top of keel, which is considerably higher than one-half the width 

 of the sternum. Plumage of adult males conspicuously marked with blue or other bright colors. 



The bright colors and sternal characters of this genus show that it is closely allied to the preceding family, while 

 the habits of at least some of the species resemble those of some of the true sparrows. I have therefore placed 

 these beautiful birds at the head of the Fringillida:. 



CYANOSPIZA CIEIS. 

 Nonpareil. 



Cyanospiza ciris BAIUD, Birds N. A. ; 1858, 503. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Size, small. Form, somewhat robust. Upper mandible, considerably arched. Wings, not short. Tail, 

 moderately long and somewhat rounded. Sternum, stoutly built. Tongue, fleshy and triangular, with the tip bifld 

 and furnished with short, coarse cilia. 



COLOK. Adult male, top and sides of head and neck rich purplish-blue. Middle of back and greater wing 

 coverts bright yellowish-green. Remaining upper parts, ring around eye and entire under portions, including under 

 tail coverts, carmine. Wings and tail, purplish with the inner webs of the former brown. Under wing coverts rosy. 



