The Summer Tanagers 



And by and by those eggs do break open, and out roll some 

 squirming, naked babies, bird babies, one, two, three — or maybe 

 four. And their little eyes aren't open yet; but they can open their 

 mouths, oh, so wide. Big Bill's little babies have big bills, too; and 

 Big Bill and Mrs. Big Bill have to hurry and hurry and hurry to fill 

 them. But no matter how much of a hurry Big Bill is in, he never 

 loses his temper. When he goes away to hunt food, he says a little 

 goodby song, and when he comes back with his bill chock full of bugs, 

 he shouts a merry "Hello, I'm coming!" Nobody knows how he can 

 do it with his mouth chock full, but he does, and you'd hardly know 

 the difference. And how the children shout when they hear him 

 coming! They're not very well mannered, I fear, for they shout, 

 "Me, too; I'm hungry, Daddy!" But everybody is good-natured 

 about it. And by-and-by they learn to say, "It's sister's turn first," 

 or "I have enough; give little Bill some." 



And, if you'll believe it, I never saw a cross Grosbeak baby; nor 

 ever once saw little Bill slap sister Betty. Of course I don't know 

 why, but I think it is because Big Bill is so gentle and so happy- 

 hearted and so handsome. 



No. 75 



Summer Tanager 



A. O. U. No. 610. Piranga rubra rubra (Linnaeus). 



Synonym. — Summer Red-bird. 



Description. — Adult male (no seasonal changes): Dull red, darker above 

 (madder brown), lighter below (jasper red); wing-quills dusky on exposed ends and 

 unexposed inner webs. Bill and feet light brown. Adult female (no seasonal changes) : 

 "Above plain yellowish olive-green, more 3'ellowish on pileum, lower rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts, the back and scapulars sometimes tinged with grayish; primaries grayish 

 brown with light yellowish olive-green edgings; lores pale yellowish gray; an indis- 

 tinct orbital ring of light dull yellow; underparts dull yellow (wax-yellow or dull maize- 

 yellow); the under tail-coverts purer yellow (chrome-yellow); bill and feet as in adult 

 male" (Ridgway). Immature male: Much like adult female, but somewhat more 

 richly colored; above more ochraceous; the pileum, edges of primaries, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail, tinged with dull orange or orange ochraceous. First year male (?) 



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