284 BIEDS — TANAGEIDJE. 



Pyranga rubra (L.) v. 



Scarlet Tanager- 



Tanagra rxibra, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 164. — ^Read, Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat, 

 Sd., vi, 1853, 395. 



Pyranga rubra, Audubon, iii, 1841, 229. — Baird, P. E. E. Eep., ix, 1858, 301. — 

 Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. Eop. for 1868, 364; Eeprint, 1861, 6; Food of Birds, etc., 

 Ohio Agrio. Eep. for 1874, 564; Eeprint, lf^75, 4.— Langdon, Cat. Birds of Gin , 1877, 

 7; Journ. CIn. Soo. Nat. Ili^t., i, 1878, 113; Eeprint, 4; Revised List, Journ. Gin. 

 Soo. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 174 ; Eeprint, 8. 



Tanarjra rubra, LiNNiEUS, Syst Nat., i, 1766, 314. 

 Pyranga rubra, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept., i, 1807, iv. 



Male si'arlet, wi'h black wings and tail; bill and feet dark. Female clear olive-green, 

 below clear greenisli-yelloiv ; wings and tail dusky, edged wiih olive. Young male, at first 

 like the female; afterward variegated with red, green, and black. Length, 7-7^; wing, 

 4 ; tail, 3. 



Habitat, Eastern United States and southern border of Canada; west to the Plains ; 

 south to Ecuador. Cuba. Jamaica. * 



Very common summer resident. Breeds. Arrives the last week in 

 April and remains till the latter part of September. This beautiful 

 bird, (iften known as the Black-wingpd Redbird, is chiefly an inhabitant 

 of retired woods. On its migration it may be seen following the wooded 

 banks of streams, and in groves. At such times it is usually rather shy, 

 seeking concealment, if any is afforded, in the young foliage; otherwise 

 it sits quiet, in a rather stupid manner, and feigns to ignore the presence 

 of an intruder. Its ordinary note is a sharp "chuc;," but when breeding 

 the male has a peculiar song, given somewhat in the manner of the 

 Robin, but of fewer notes. As a, breeding resort, they prefer mixe(^ 

 woodland. The nest is placed on the horizontal branch of a low tree, 

 from ten to twenty feet from the ground; it is flat, having but a slight 

 deprpssion, and composed of strips of bark, fibres, and rootlets, and lined 

 with fine roots. The eggs are four or five, light-bluish, thickly spotted 

 with brown and purple. They measure .90 by .65. 



In the fall the males lose their bright colors, and become similar to 

 the females, but with us, in August and September, the old males retain 

 their bUck wings and tail. In the fall, they sometimes visit the gardens 

 of the city. 



Pyranga .estiva (L ) V. 



Sixtnmer Kedbird. 



Tanagra msfiva, Audubon, Orn. Biog., i, l'^31, 232.— Kiutland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 

 164, 183.— Ebad, Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 



