218 INDIGO BUNTING. 



latest arrivals in spring, it is one of the eariiegt migrants in the fall, leaving southern 

 "Wisconsin by the middle, south-western Missouri by the end of September, and in 

 southern Texas they are not seen after October 15. They winter abundantly in southern 

 Mexico and throiughout Central America and the "West Indies. 



During the migrations they overfly in an easy way immense stretches of country, 

 and during the breeding season they fly quite rapidly; even when there is no necessity 

 for such wandering, they often fly more than a mile at a considerable height, moving 

 from one pasture to another. 



The Indigo Bunting is a great favorite with bird fanciers. I have frequently kept 

 them in confinement and even caught them myself in trap cages. They were at fir^t 

 exceedingly wild and unruly, but in time they submitted to the kind treatment they 

 received and became tolerably tame. "When residing in Oak Park, 111., I always kept a 

 large number of native birds in cages, among them also several Indigo-birds. While 

 cleaning the cage one day a fine male escaped. I saw him all day long, and also the 

 next day, in the neighboring garden, replete with ornamental shrubs and evergreens. 

 Then the bird disappeared and I had given up the hope to see him again. About eight 

 days later my escaped bird appeared with a female in the same garden. They both 

 hopped about on the ground, searching for food. — Among the bird-fanciers in Europe 

 the Indigo Bunting has always been a great favorite. Vieillot, in his excellent work, 

 "Les Oiseaux Chanteurs," published in 1790, describes and figures it and praises it as 

 a cage pet. Dr. Carl Russ has raised several broods in his "bird-room." 



Although generally fed on seeds only, every bird-keeper will soon find out that 

 this is a mistake, for the bird will neither remain healthy nor endure long on such a 

 diet. A little animal food, in the shape of a few mealworms, flies, spiders, small grass- 

 hoppers and a little hard-boiled egg, is indispensable, and giving these regularly our 

 cage-pet will soon become so tame that it will take insects from between the fingers. 



NAMES: Indigo Bunting, Indigo-bird, "Indigo," Blue Linnet, "Green Bird," "Green Linnet," Blue Nonpareil 

 (French Creoles).— Indigofink, Indigovogel (German). 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Tanagra cyanea, Linn. (1766). FringiUa cyanea Wils. (1810). PASSERINA 

 CYANEA ViEiLL. (1817). Cyanospiza cyanea Baird (1858). 



DESCRIPTION: "Adult male: Rich blue, deeper on the head, brighter on the back; lores, blackish; wings 

 and tail, black; margined with blue. Adult female: Upper parts, uniform grayish-brown without 

 streaks; wings and tail, fuscous, sometimes lightly margined with bluish; wing-coverts, margined 

 with grayish-brown ; under-parts, whitish, washed with grayish-brown and indistinctly streaked with 

 darker; belly, whiter. Young: Resemble the female, but darker. Adult male in winter: Resembles the 

 female, but has more or less blue in the plumage. 



"Length, 5.59 inches; wing, 2.58; tail, 2.11; bill, .41." (Prank M. Chapman.) 



