10 LOUISIANA TANAGER. 



tory,' and the first-named of these authors also gave a supplementary notice in the 

 'Ornithology of California.' " 



"Dr. George Suckley writes as follows: 



"The beautiful Louisiana Tanager is quite abundant in certain seasons in the 

 vicinity of Fort Steilacoom. In 1854 but a limited number made their appearance, 

 while, on the contrary, in the summer of 1856, I have seen about a hundred specimens. 

 I have had frequent opportunities of studying their habits, and have never yet seen 

 them descend to the low bushes or the ground, as stated by Nuttall, the reverse being 

 the rule (at least at Puget Sound). . . . The favorite habitat of the species, in those 

 localities where I have observed it, is among the tall, red fir-trees belonging to that 

 magnificent species, the Abies Douglasii. They seemingly prefer the edges of the forest, 

 rarely retiring to its depths unless for concealment w^hen alarmed. In early summer, at 

 Fort Steilacoom, they are generally seen during the middle of the day sunning them- 

 selves in the firs, occasionally darting from one of these trees to another, or to some 

 of the neighboring white-oaks {Qnercus Garryana) on the prairies. Later in the season 

 they may be seen actively flying about in quest of insect food for their young. On July 

 10, 1856, I saw one of these birds carrying a worm or insect in its mouth, from which 

 I inferred that the young were then hatched out. Both sexes, during the breeding 

 season, are much less shy ; the males during the day-time, frequently sitting on some 

 low limb, rendering the scene joyous with their delightful melody." 



"The records just mentioned, to which that left by the late Mr. J. K. Lord, fi-om 

 observations in the extreme North-west, may be added, represent nearly all the w^ritten 

 history of the beautiful bird — one conspicuous even among this brilliant family for the 

 striking color contrasts w^hich the rich yellow, intense crimson, and jet-black afford — 

 down to a most recent period. Within the past few years, Mr. Allen, Mr. Ridgway, 

 Mr. Henshaw, and Mr. Trippe are among those who have contributed to the fiill 

 exposition of the economy of the species. The memoranda of both the first and last- 

 named of these gentlemen already enrich the pages of the 'Birds of the North-west,' 

 through the personal attentions of these valued correspondents of mine. 



"In southern Colorado, Mr. Henshaw found the Louisiana Tanager in small num- 

 bers among cotton-w^oods along the streams, at an elevation of about 7,500 feet, and 

 much more abundantly among the pines, up to 9,000 and even 10,000 feet above sea- 

 level. He afterward observed that it was common in southern Arizona, and found it 

 lingering along the Gila River even so late as the middle of October, at which time 

 nearly all these birds had migrated southward. As others had done, he noted the close 

 similarity that obtains between this and the Scarlet Tanager: — 'It is busy the whole 

 time gleaning from among the pines and spruces the larger beetles and insects which 

 infest them, and generally keeps well up among the higher branches, whence it makes 

 its presence known by occasional bursts of melody." 



In the fourth volume of the "United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth 

 Parallel. Clarence King, Geologist in Charge," I find the following excellent account on 

 this bird by Prof Robert Ridgway: 



"This beautiful Tanager, one of the most brilliant of western birds, was found to 

 be very generally distributed through the wooded portions of the route traversed, except- 



