TREE SWALLOW (Iridoprocne bicolor). 



Length, about 6 inches. The steel blue upper 

 parts and pure white under parts are distinguishing 

 characteristics. 



Range: Breeds from northwestern Alaska and 

 northern Canada south to southern California, 

 Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Virginia; winters 

 in central California, southern Texas and Gulf 

 States and south to Guatemala. 



In its primitive state the tree swallow used to 

 nest in hollow trees, and in some parts of the country 

 it still continues to do so. Early in the settlement 

 of the country it saw the advantage of putting itself 

 under man's protection, and now no bird is quicker 

 to respond to an invitation to nest in a box dedicated 

 to its use. The bird lover within the range of the 

 species may secure an interesting tenant or two by 

 the expenditure of a little trouble and labor, since 

 the bird is not a bit fastidious as to its domicile, 

 providing it is weather tight. Tree swallows arrive 

 from the south early in April and soon begin to nest. 

 In the fall they gather in great flocks preparatory 

 to their departure, and may then be seen by hun- 

 dreds perched on telegraph wires. As is the habit 

 with swallows generally, tree swallows migrate by 

 day feeding as they go, and a flock passing swiftly 

 south presents to the casual observer an every day 

 appearance well calculated to deceive. Watch the 

 flock as it crosses the road and passes from field to 

 field and you will notice that while the line of flight 

 has many a twist and turn it trends steadily to the 

 south and that no individual takes the back track. 



The tree swallow consumes vast numbers of gnats, 

 flying ants, beetles, mosquitoes and other flying 

 insects. It exhibits a rather curious departure 

 from the traditions of its kind in that it appears to be 

 very fond of the berries of the bayberry or wax 

 myrtle. It also often chooses these bushes for a 

 roosting place at night. 



SCARLET TANAGER (Pinpiga erythromelas). 



Length, about 1\ inches. Tdie scarlet coat and 

 black wings and tail mark tins bird out from all 

 others. 



Range: Breeds from southern Canada south to 

 southern Kansas, northern Arkansas, Tennessee, 

 northern Georgia and mountains of Virginia and 

 South Carolina; winters from Colombia to Bolivia 

 and Peru. 



The tanagers are strictly an American family, 

 and as their bright colors might seem to suggest, they 

 originated in the Tropics to which most of the nu- 

 merous species are confined. In fact the gleam of 

 scarlet from the coat of this tanager in our somber 

 woods always seems a little out of place as though the 

 bird were an alien. But it is wholly at home with us, 

 and, indeed, does not hesitate to make its summer 

 residence still farther north in Canada. Curiously 

 enough the nearest relatives of the brilliant tanagers 

 in the bird world are the plainly colored sparrows. 

 The chirp-churr of the tanager is a familiar call note 

 in our northern woods, while its song is one of the 

 sweetest; so that altogether this species is to be 

 classed as a notable member of our bird world. 



In some localities it is accused of eating honey 

 bees, but to offset this local habit it devours the 

 potato-beetle and many other beetles and a great 

 variety of caterpillars. Blueberries and other small 

 berries also form an important part of its food. 



CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon lunifrons 



and sub-species). 



Length, about 6 inches. The rufous upper tail 

 coverts serve to distinguish this swallow from other 

 species. 



Range: Breeds from central Alaska and northern 

 Canada south over the United States (except Flori- 

 da) and to Guatemala; winters in South Ameiica. 



The cliff and the barn swallow are members in 

 good standing of the original guild of masons, and 

 their clever constructive work in nest building with 

 mud pellets will bear the severest professional in- 

 spection. Through much of the west the cliff swal- 

 low still attaches its mud house to the faces of cliffs 

 as from time immemorial, and it was not until the 

 farmers' house and barn offered a satisfactory sub- 

 stitute for granite and sandstone bluffs, that the bird 

 became really numerous in our eastern States. In 

 some localities this swallow is not a welcome guest 

 about the homestead as its nest is apt to contain 

 parasites which the good housekeeper fears. Such 

 parasites, however, are not to be dreaded as they 

 will live only on birds. The cliff swallow performs 

 invaluable service to man since its food consists 

 wholly of insects, and among them are many pestif- 

 erous kinds, such as leaf bugs, leaf-hoppers and the 

 boll weevil. Whoever then protects this and other 

 species of swallows and encourages their presence on 

 their premises does good and patriotic service and 

 can moreover be sure of adequate reward. 



WESTERN TANAGER (Piranga ludoviciana). 



Length, about 7 inches. The combination of 

 orange-red head, black back, and yellow under parts 

 are distinctive. 



Range: Breeds from northeastern British Colum- 

 bia, southwestern Mackenzie and southwestern 

 South Dakota to the mountains of southern Cali- 

 fornia and New Mexico; winters from central Mexico 

 to Guatemala. 



Discovered in Idaho by Lewis and Clarke in 1805, 

 this tanager has thus been known more than a hun- 

 dred years in which time it hasbecomeoneof the most 

 familiar of western birds. It is a common inhabitant 

 of both the western Rocky Mountains and the Sierra 

 Nevada, and is very much at home among the pine 

 woods of which it is the brightest ornament. In 

 general its habits are like those of its scarlet cousin, 

 and it also has a sweet song very similar in general 

 effect. In California this tanager has acquired an 

 evil reputation by attacks on the cherry crop, and 

 there is no doubt that when it assembles in large 

 numbers in the fruit districts it is the cause of heavy 

 loss to small fruit growers. Under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, however, the greater part of its food 

 consists of insects, many of them harmful, and it is 

 only fair to balance the good the bird does against 

 the harm. Two very harmful families of beetles, 

 whose larvae are wood borers and do much damage 

 to trees and other plants, are represented in the food. 

 The planting of berry bearing trees near the orchard 

 would no doubt prevent much of the loss, occasioned 

 by this bird, which by no means occurs every year. 

 For the rest the fruit grower must be allowed to 

 protect his fruit in the best and most effective way. 



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