TANAGERS 267 



worms, cutworms, and other caterpillars, 9 per cent of beetles, 

 and 7 per cent of snails.J 



TANAGERS: Family Tangaridae. 



SCARLET TANAGER: Piranga olwacea (Gmelin).* 



State records. — The scarlet tanager occurs sparingly as a 

 migrant and as a breeder in the mountainous parts of Ala- 

 bama (fig. 18). It is fairly common in summer on Sand 

 Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Talladega Mountains, and 

 Mount Weogufka. I saw several on Choccolocco Mountain 

 near Anniston (June 8), one on Monte Sano near Huntsville 

 (May 13), one at Squaw Shoals (June 3), and several near 

 Guntersville (June 18). Holt observed one at Ardell, June 

 26, 1913. At Teasley Mill, Montgomery County, a male was 

 observed daily from May 11 to 16, 1914, and the species may 

 possibly have been breeding there. A male taken in spring 

 (date not known) at Point Clear is in the mounted collection 

 of James K. Glennon. 



McCormack reports this species a rare spring migrant at 

 Leighton, seen May 5, 1890, and April 27, 1893. I observed 

 first arrivals there, April 22, 24, and 25, 1914. Avery found 

 it at Greensboro both in spring and fall, noted April, 27 and 

 May 3, 1893; October 16, 1890; and September 18 to October 

 2, 1891. First arrivals in spring were reported at Shelby, 

 April 16 (1898) ; Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 15 

 (1912), and April 19 (1914) ; Anniston, April 23 (1916) ; and 

 Barachias, April 28 (1909), and April 24 (1912). 



General habits. — This handsome bird is a dweller in decidu- 

 ous woodland, and although not particularly shy, it is rarely 

 found close to habitations. It is partial to oak or hickory 

 timber and often lives in small groves or hedgerows. It is, 

 distinctly an arboreal species, ranging in the "upper stories" 

 of the woodland and rarely descending to the ground. The 

 song resembles that of the robin, but has a characteristic 

 metallic twang to it, a ringing quality that appears also in the 

 common alarm note — chip-ch-r-r-r. The nest is a rather frail, 



tForbes, S. A., Amer. Agr., vol. 40, pp. 482-483, 1881. 



♦Piranga erythromclae of the A. O. U. Check-list ; for change of name see The Auk, 

 vol. 37, p. 282, 1920. 



9— B 



