PASSERES — TANAGRID.E. 157 



of the state than east of Toledo. It is a summer resident 

 wherever it occurs, hving and nesting in the fields much 

 after the manner of the Meadowlark. 



Unlike most of the sparrows, Dickcissel eats more than 

 twice as much animal matter as vegetable matter. Of the 

 vegetable matter only three per cent, is grain, the rest being 

 weed seeds. Of the animal matter fully half of all food 

 eaten is grasshoppers and crickets. A small percentage of 

 useful insects is eaten, but it is so small a proportion 

 that no account of them need be taken. This is, therefore, 

 one of our most useful summer sparrows. 



Rev. Mr. Henninger states that it is a rare summer resi- 

 dent in both Pike and Scioto counties where it has been 

 unknown until within the last six years. 



Family Tanagrid^. Tanagers. 



Only one of the two members of this family found in 

 Ohio is distributed over the entire state. Both have bril- 

 liant plumage, and both are fairly good singers. While 

 they are woods-haunting birds, the Scarlet Tanager fre- 

 quently nests in parks and shade trees in cities and towns. 



218. (608.) Piranga erythromelas Vieill. 82. 

 Scarlet Tanager. 



Synonyms: Pyranga rubra, Tanagra rubra, P. erythromelas. 

 Black-winged Redbird, Pocket-bird, Scarlet Sparrow, Can- 

 ada Tanager, Red Tanager, Scarlet Black-winged Tanager. 

 Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 164. 



In spite of his brilliant dress, and in spite of the fact that 

 he is one of our common birds in every part of the state, 

 there are many persons who do not know the Scarlet Tan- 

 ager. When chance throws him so directly in their path that 

 they must see him, he is heralded as the rarest of birds 

 dropped down from — Limbo ! How many there are who, 

 having eyes, see not ! There is no part of the state where 

 this is not a common summer resident. It sometimes nests 

 in our city and village parks, well up among the branches. 



This bird destroys insects, weed seeds, and eats wild 



