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of them always keep near the ground. They all delight in

the more open country on the mountain slopes, or in sunny

clearings near the forests, and pass their time in the fruit trees

near human dwellings. A banana plantation is a sure attraction

for the Dusky Tanager, if it happens there are ripe bunches

about. After he has taken his fill he will sit, on the bare branch

for preference, of some tree, and pour forth his quite melodious

song. This song would be decidedly one of his great attractions

in captivity, for it would do credit to almost any bird. Another

Tanager inhabiting the same region but confined only to the

Western side, is the Yellovv-rumped Tanager (.Rhamphocceclus

icteronotus). If any member of the Society should have kept

these birds alive, I should be pleased to be informed of the fact.

This bird has charmed me in a way that no other bird has done,

that I can remember. In shape, size and habits, it is the

duplicate of the well known Scarlet Tanager. The whole of the

plumage is of a rich black, resembling plush ; but the rump is

of the purest and brightest sulphur colour imaginable. In

repose, it spreads the yellow back feathers over its wings, showing

the colour off to the greatest advantage. Its song is about equal

to that of the Scarlet Tanager. Around a hut, in a clearing in

the virgin forests, among the Colorado Indians on the Western

Side, rejoicing in the grand-sounding name of Santo Domingo

de los Colorados, these birds were as common as Sparrows are at

home. They also played great havoc among the fruit, but were

also indefatigable in searching for insects among the trees, looking

under every leaf. The} 7 were more persevering, in this respect,

than any other Tanagers I saw, and were only out-done at it by

the Dacnis family. In September and October 1S9S, these birds

were still nesting in the thick orange trees around our hut.

Although the nests were not more than from seven to nine feet

above the ground, it was quite a difficult matter to get at them,

for the trees were so thick and thorny, and the nests so well in

the middle, that the only thing to do was to cut part of the tree

away. The nests were rather large structures, composed of dry

grass and dead leaves, and were not at all easy to find, although

the trees stood well out in the open ; they contained in some

cases, five young ones, which resemble the females and do not

attain mature plumage, until probably the second year, for young

males in only half adult plumage, I saw with nests of their own.

The female is brown instead of black, with the yellow of a less

brilliant shade, and some of the same colour about the wings ;

again, not having the skins at hand to refer to, I am unable to

give an exact description of it just now. This bird is replaced



