BiEDS OF Indiana. 989 



The call note is different from that of the Scarlet Tanager, sound- 

 ing, as it comes through the woods, Uke per-chuck-urr. Mr. Eidgway 

 says its ordinary notes are pa-chip-it-tut-tut-tut, or, as Wilson ex- 

 presses it, chieky-chuck-chuek. The song resembles, in its general 

 character, that of the Scarlet Tanager, but is far louder, better sus- 

 tained and more musical. It equals in strength that of the Eobin, 

 but is uttered more hurriedly, is more wiry, and much more con- 

 tinued. The male does not acquire his full plumage for several years. 

 Therefore, the plumage is often strangely marked with red and yel- 

 low, females are sometimes found showing red markings. "One, 

 shot at Wheatland, Ind., May 21, 1881, had the plumage more 

 than one-half red, the red color being of greater extent, in fact, than 

 on the male, which was killed by the same shot. The tint of red is 

 very peculiar, being of dull Chinese orange, instead of pure, rosy Ver- 

 million, as in the male. * * * The food of this bird consists, to 

 a great extent, of hornets, wasps, and bees, on which account it is to 

 a greater or less extent known to the farmers as the 'Eed Bee-bird' " 

 (Eidgway, Birds of 111., I., pp. 317, 218). These and other insects 

 constitute its summer food, but with the ripening of wild fruits and 

 seeds in the fall, they become quite a factor in its bill of fare. 



To most of us this bird was formerly known as P. oBstiva (Gm.), 

 and to the last species was given the name P. rubra (Linn.). It was 

 found that Linnaeus' name, rubra, applied to this species, and, in at- 

 tempting to correct an error, much trouble has been caused to those 

 who knew them by the old names, and, in regions where both are 

 found, confusion of data will result. 



XLII Family HIEUNDINID^ Swallows. 



a^. Nostrils opening directly upward and with very little membrane bordering 

 edge. 

 6^. Wing 5.00 or more; tail forked ; male glossy black. Progne. 143 



b^. Wing less than 5.00; tail nearly even, 

 c'. Plumage of upper parts lustrous blue-black, marked with various shades 

 of chestnut; edge of ouier quill without recurved hooks. 



Petrochelidon. 144 

 c^. Plumage of upper parts pale grayish brown ; edge of outer quill with stiff 

 recurveH hooks (obscure in female). Stelgidoptebyx. 148 



a^. Nostrils opening laterally, covered more or less by a membrane or scale. 



d'. Tail forked for more than half its length ; tail feathers with white spots. 



Chelidon. 145 

 d'. Tail forked for less than half its length. 



e^. No feathers on lower part of tarsus; plumage lustrous above. 



Tachycineta. 146 



e^. Small tuft of feathers on lower part of tarsus; plumage of upper parts 



dark gray. Clivicola. 147 



