{ 388 ) 
SCARLET TANAGER. 
TANAGRA RUBRA, LINN. 
PLATE CCCLIV., Mate anp FEMALE. 
You have now before you representations of one of the most richly 
coloured of our birds, and one whose history is in some degree pecu- 
liar. The Scarlet Tanager enters the United States from Mexico, 
through the ‘Texas, in the beginning of April. On several of the 
islands in the Bay of Mexico, I found it exceedingly abundant, and re- 
strained in a great measure from proceeding eastward by the weather, 
which was unseasonably cold. Many were procured in their full dress, 
and afew in the garb of the females. These plain-coloured indivi- 
duals turned all out to be males, which in so far confirmed my former ob- 
servations respecting this and several other species, in which the males 
precede the females by about a fortnight in their spring migrations. It 
was at the same period that I observed the wonderful rapidity in the 
change of the plumage from its winter aspect to its summer colouring, 
in the Red-breasted Snipe, Scolopaa Noveboracensis ; and | became con- 
vinced that nearly the same phenomenon took place in the Tanagers. 
In them, in fact, the older individuals, being stronger, had attained 
their full colouring, while the younger were later in changing. As 
we advanced, | procured many specimens partially coloured, and when 
the males had mostly passed, the females made their appearance; mani- 
festing similar gradations in the changes of their colours. I knew that 
many of the males of this species reach our Middle Districts in a spotted 
dress, and soon after acquire their full colours ; and I am disposed to 
think that in the autumnal months, the young males of the year be- 
come of a much purer tint than that of the young or old females. The 
latter themselves improve materially in this respect as they advance 
in age, and I have some nearly twice as richly coloured as birds only a 
year old. The same gbservations apply to our Summer Red Bird, 
Tanagra cestiva, of which I have females, procured by my valued 
friend Epwarp Harris, Esq., exhibiting tints nearly as bright as 
those of their mates obtained at the same time, when they had nests. 
In the Scariet Tanager it is remarkabie, moreover, that some males 
