TANAGER. 



Birds of this Genus were generally supposed only to inhabit the 

 warmer parts of America, but there have been specimens obtained 

 from India and Africa, with bills so exactly corresponding with the 

 Tanagers, as justify our entering them among the rest of the Genus. 



1— RED-BREASTED TANAGER. 



Tanagra Jacapa, hid. Orn. i. 419. Lin. i. 313. Gm. LinA. 888. 



Lanius Carbo, Pall. Adumb. 114. 



Cardinalis purpurea, Bris. iii. 49. t. 3. f. 2. 3 ? Id. 8vo. i. 317. 



Tangara purpurea, Spaloivsk. ii. t. 38. 



Avis Americana, Cardinalis niger dicta, Gerin. iii. t. 334. 



Ramphopis Jacapa, Shaw's Zoo/, ix. p. 439. 



Le Bee d'Argent, Cardinal pourpre, Buf. iv. 259. PI. ml. 128. 12. 



Ramphocele Bee d' Argent, Desin. Tang. pi. 30. 31. 



Red-breasted Tanager, Gen. Syn.m. 214. Edw, pf ,267. 



SIZE of a Sparrow ; length six inches and a half. Bill stout, 

 and black, except the base of the lower mandible, which is singu- 

 larly rounded at the back part, broad, and silvery white ; irides 

 brown ; the plumage in general is black, glossed with purple, except 

 the chin, throat, and breast, which are deep crimson ; the fore part 

 of the head is also crimson in some specimens, and I have observed 

 one, in which all the under parts, quite to the vent, were crimson. 



The female has not the conspicuous character of the under man- 

 dible so strongly marked as the male; the plumage dull purplish 

 brown ; beneath reddish ; wings and tail brown ; legs in both sexes 

 brown. 



Inhabits Cayenne, Guiana, Mexico, and other parts of America, 

 living only on fruits ; comes frequently near habitations, and into the 

 gardens, generally seen in pairs : the nest is of a cylindrical form, a 

 trifle curved, six inches long, and four inches and a half in diameter, 

 composed of dried fibres and leaves, and lined with the latter ; it is 

 fastened to the horizontal branch of a low tree, the opening beneath : 

 the female lays two white eggs, marked with small, pale red spots, 



