TANAGERS 



(008) Piranga erythromelas 



(Vieill.) (Gr., red and black). 



SCARLET TAN ACER. Bill 

 stout and slightly notched on the cut- 

 ting edge of upper mandible. Ad. cf 

 — y\s shown by the lower bird; scarlet 

 and black. Ad. 9, and Im. — As 

 shown by the upper bird; greenish- 

 yellow above and paler below; wings 

 and tail darker. Ad. cf in unnter — 

 Similar to the female but with black 

 wings; at other seasons mixed with 

 red and yellow. L., 7.2=;; W., 3.75; 

 T., 3.00; B., .60. Nest — Of twigs 

 and rootlets; on lower limbs of trees; 

 four greenish-blue eggs, spotted with 

 reddish-brown, .95 x .65. 



Ran(:,c — Breeds from N. B., Ont. 

 and Sask. south to Va., Tenn. and 

 Neb. Winters on the east coast of 

 Central America, migrating through 

 Cuba. 



with a rising inflection. The most pleasing song is one 

 delivered while on the wing — a flight song like that of the 

 Bobolink or the famous Skylark. 



Family TANAGARIDtE. Tanagees 



A large family of exceptionally brilliantly plumaged birds 

 found only in North and South America. Only five of the 

 more than three hundred known species reach the boun- 

 daries of the United States, most of them being exclusively 

 tropical. Our species have pleasing songs, for which we 

 should be duly thankful for the majority of this family are 

 very poor songsters. 



Almost every one is familiar with the SCARLET TANA- 

 GER, at least from pictures. The males are exceedingly 

 beautiful birds although gaudily colored. The dull-colored 

 females, however, are less widely known, for they are less 



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