NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 407 



and often horse hair. On the whole the nest of this species is a compact structure. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, almost exactly like those of the Bluebird; av- 

 erage size .80X.60. Ten eggs measure .76x.60, .76x.62, .77x.60, .79x.62, .79x.59, .80x.62, 

 .81X.60, .80X.59, .75x.66. .82x.59. 



605. LARK BUNTING. Oalamospina melcmocorys Stejn. Geog. Dist.— Plains 

 of Dakota and Middle Kansas west to the Rocky Mountains, northward to or beyond 

 the United States, south in winter to Texas, New Mexico', Arizona, Lower California 

 and Northern New Mexico; occasional west of the Rocky Mountains. Accidental in 

 Massachusetts. 



A bird of the plains — a summer resident in Middle and Western Kansas, breeding 

 from thence northward to or beyond the United States boundary. The bird is said 

 to utter the most delightful songs, and its warbles are described as similar to those 

 of the Bobolink and the soft cadence of the Skylark. The nest is placed on the 

 ground, sometimes sunken even with the surface, and beneath the shelter of a bush 

 or tuft of grass. It is composed of fine stems, grasses, and lined with finer grasses 

 and vegetable down. The eggs are four or five in number, light blue, and measure 

 .85X.65 inches. 



[606.] ' BLT7E-HE ADES EXTFEONIA. Euphonia elegantissima (Bonap.) Geog. 

 Dist. — Eastern Mexico, Central America, south to Veragua, Southern Texas. (Giraud.) 



This Tanager of variegated plumage is admitted to our fauna on the above au- 

 thority and it doubtless does occur over the Mexican boundkry. Its eggs are described 

 as creamy-white, with a few scattered spots and blotches of two shades of brown, 

 principally at the larger end. 



607. LOTJISIANA TANAGEB, Piranga hidovicUma fWils.) Geog. Dist. — 

 Western United States, from the Plains to the Pacific, north to British Columbia, 

 south in winter to Guatemala. 



Throughout the evergreen forests from Oregon and Montana southward to South- 

 ern California and Arizona this Tanager is a common species, breeding In suitable 

 localities, wherever found. It is called crimson-headed and Western Tanager. The 

 nesting season is in April, May, June and July, according to locality. The nest is a 

 thin, saucer-shaped structure, made of bark strips and grass stems, placed on the 

 horizontal branches of tr«es, preferedly evergreens and usually in the lower 

 branches. The eggs are three to five in number, of a clear, light bluish-green, finely 

 and rather sparsely sprinkled chiefly at the larger end with clove-brown. The eggs 

 are of a brighter bluish tint and the markings are more speck-like than those of 

 the Scarlet Tanager or Summer Tanager, The average size is ,95x,65 inches. 



[607. 1.] GRAY'S TANAGER. Piranga ntbriceps Gray. Geog. Dist— Co- 

 lumbia. Accidental in California (Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara county). 



This handsome Tanager has in every respect the same general habits of the Scar- 

 let Tanager, P. erythromelas. 



