88 NATURALIST** CABINET. 



Similar to European sparrows. 



which, in BrasiJ, are denominated tangaras ; 

 and naturalists have applied the name to all the 

 varieties composing that family. Most travellers 

 have considered these birds as a species of spar- 

 rows, and in fact they differ from the European 

 sparrows only in colour, and in having the upper 

 mandible of the bill serrated on each side towards 

 the end. In other respects they resemble the 

 sparrow in their conformation, and their habits 

 and manners are almost the same. Like the lat- 

 ter their flight is short and low ; the voice in 

 most of the species is disagreeable ; and they 

 must likewise be classed among the granivorous 

 birds, since they live only on very small fruits, 

 They are as familiar as the sparrow, residing 

 principally near the habitation of man, and asso- 

 ciating together in numerous flocks. They are 

 fond of dry, open situations, and are never found 

 in marshy countries. These birds lay two, and 

 very seldom three eggs. 



The whole family of tangaras, of which there 

 are about thirty different species, exclusive of 

 varieties, appears to be confined to the New 

 World. To this class of birds belongs the or- 

 ganist, which is a native of the Spanish part of 

 St. .Domingo, and has received its name from 

 sounding all the notes of an ascending octave. 

 The organist is so extremely shy, and so expert 

 at concealing himself, that it is extremely diffi- 

 cult to discover or to kill him. He turns round 

 a branch according as the fowler changes his 



