NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 337 



A set of three in Mr. Norris' cabinet taken in Larimer county, Colo- 

 rado, measure .97 x .69, .92 x .68, .91 x .64. 



608. Piranga erytliromelas Vieill [i6i.] 



Scarlet Taiiager> 



Hab. Eastern United States, north to Southern Canada, west to the Great Plains, south in winter to 

 the West Indies, Central America and Northern South America. 



The male Scarlet Tanager is one of the most brilliant and striking 

 of all our birds. From its black wings resembling pockets it is fre- 

 quently called "Pocket-bird.", The female is plain olive-green. 

 Breeds as far north as Southern Canada and west to Eastern Kansas, 

 south to South Carolina and Texas. It inhabits woodlands and is par- 

 ticularly fond of swampy places. The breeding season begins in the 

 latter part of May. The nest is generally found in low, thick woods, 

 or in the skirting of tangled thickets ; very often, also, in an orchard, 

 on the horizontal limb of some low tree or sapling. The nest is usu- 

 ally very flat, loosely constructed of twigs, fine bark strips, lined with 

 rootlets and fine inner bark. 



The eggs are three to five in number, commonly four, and of a 

 greenish-blue, speckled, spotted and blotched with rufous-brown, more 

 or less confluent, in some chiefly at the larger end. The markings 

 have a reddish tint while those of the Summer Redbird, P. rubra, are 

 more of a brownish hue. Ten eggs measure respectively .89 x .60, .89 

 X.62, .92X.64, .94X.62, 1.00X.64, . 98 X. 65, 1. 00 X. 65, .95X.64, .94 X 

 .62, .97 X .63 ; average size .96 x .65. 



609. Piranga hepatica Swains. [163.J 



Hepatic Tanager. 



Hab. Southern Arizona and New Mexico, southward. 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott gives this species as a summer resident in the 

 oak region of the Catalina Mountains of Southern Arizona, at an alti- 

 tude of 5000 feet, breeding late in the season, from May 6 to 9. A 

 nest found July 12 containing three young was built on the outer 

 branch of a live oak and was entirely similar to that of the Scarlet 

 Tanager. No reliable description of the eggs are at hand. The male 

 of this species is of a dull red color, females and young males green- 

 ish-yellow. 



610. Piranga rubra (Linn.) [164. J 



Snminer Tanager. 



Hab. Eastern United States west to the edge of the Plains; north regularly to about 40°— New Jer- 

 sey, Central Ohio, Illinois, etc., casually north to Connecticut and Ontario, accidentally to Nova Scothi, win- 

 tering in Cuba, Central America and Northern South America. 



The Summer Redbird or Rose Tanager breeds nearly throughout its 

 United States range. The adult male is a plain vermilion red ; the 

 plumage of the female is olive. In habits this species resembles 



23 



