No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 137 



Peabody Museum, these specimens having come from the Yale 

 Natural History Society, in a collection of mounted birds, some 

 of which were collected by Linsley at Stratford, and the others 

 probably near New Haven. 



Hoyt records a specimen being seen near Stamford in the 

 summer of 1904 by Miss Fessenden; but the possibility of mis- 

 taking a male English Sparrow for the Dickcissel has been more 

 than once proved by experienced ornithologists. 



Family TANGARID^. Tanagers. 



Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson) . Western Tanager. 



A young male of this species was collected by H. W. Flint 

 on Fair Haven Heights, in New Haven, Dec. 15, 1892. " It is 

 not an escaped bird, as the feet and plumage clearly indicate."* 



Piranga erythromelas Vieillot. Scarlet Tanager. 



A common summer resident from May until September. 



Earliest record. New Haven, May i, 1907; Portland, May 

 3, 1908. 



Latest record. New Haven, Oct. 10, 1901 ; Portland, Oct. 

 9. 1891. 



Nest. In a tree in orchard or woodland, 5-20 feet from the 

 ground. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; early in June. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. May 28, 1898, four eggs 

 (L. B. B.). Latest record. Aug. 10, 1909, three eggs (M. T. 

 Smith). _ 



Unusual eggs. Occasionally the eggs are very faintly and 

 finely spotted, altogether lacking the usual bold markings; e. g., 

 June 5, 1888, New Haven, set of four (Parsons) ; May 28, 1898, 

 set of four (L. B. B.) ; June 2, 1903, Chester, one (Canfield) ; 

 May 29, 1898, near New London, set of five (J. H. H.). 



Variations in plumage of the males in the spring are many 

 and interesting; e. g., one with the prevailing color of the 

 plumage except the wings and tail coral-red, taken by A. H. V. 

 and L. B. B., May 17, 1894; another with the prevailing color 

 rufous, taken by L. B. B., July 9, 1904; others show patches of 

 cadmium-yellow, or have occasionally the lesser coverts and 



'Auk, X, I, p. 86; also O. and 0., xvii, 12, p. 187. 



