125 



20. .GUIRACA. Swainson. Blue Grosbeak. 



113. Mentioned only because Indiana comes within the range of this Eastern 

 species. 



21. CYANOSPIZA. Baird. Indigo Birds. 



114. C. CYANEA. Bd. Male indigo blue, clear on head, greenish behind; 

 female plain warm brown, obscurely streaked ; known from other small sparrows 

 by a diisky line along the gonys (middle line of lower mandible). Abundant in 

 summer ; a dainty bird and tireless tree top songster. 



22. CARDINALIS. Bon. Cardinal Grosbeaks. 



115. C. CYANEA. Bd. Redbird. Clear red, ashy on head; chin and fore_ 

 head black ; crest conspicuous ; female ashy brown, more or less washed with red . 

 L. 8^ ; W, 4 ; T. 4^ ; resident abundant ; through the fall and winter found in 

 thickets near creeks, or on borders of cornfields; "in addition to corn, various 

 seeds and the wild grape form a considerable portion of its food." [Langdon.) A 

 loud whistling singer, much sought as a cage bird ; the nest is easily found, as it is 

 low, and the male in his pride readily leads to it ; the farmer's lads get the young,, 

 and about Indianapolis sell them for ^2.00 a pair. 



23. PIPILO. Vieillot. Towhee Buntings. 



116. P. ERYTHROPHTHALMUS. (L.) V. Chewink, Marsh Robin. Black, 

 belly white ; sides chestnut ; outer tail feathers, primaries and inner secondaries 

 with white; female clear brown instead of black; L. 8 ^^ ; W. 3^; T. 4. Com- 

 mon resident ; nests on the ground in thickets. Besides its call of " towhee," they 

 sing a pleasant love song as early as March. It is a shy April bird, singing from 

 the top of a high bush or low tree, close to cover, from which it pitches out of sight 

 if molested. Except, perhaps, the bobolink, he is the sharpest marked of our 

 ground birds — black backed, bay sided and white vested. He is much oftener seen 

 than heard. 



FAMILY Xyil. ICTERIDiE. 



{The Blackbirds.) 



Primaries 9 ; commissure angulated, as in the sparrow family, but the bill rarely 

 shorter than the head, straight or gently curved, without notch or rictal bristles ; 

 legs stout ; tarsus strictly oscine ; plumage brilliant or lustrous, black being the 

 predominant color, often with red or yellow ; females usually different, smaller in 

 size, brown or streaky in the lustrous species and yellowish or dusky in the brightly 

 colored ones. Their notes are usually sharp, often richly melodious, and in other 

 cases harsh. 



About 100 species in 20 genera; all are American. They are allied to the spar- 

 rows on one side (as the bobolink and cowbird), and to the crows on the other 

 (crow blackbirds). 



