44 SCARLET TANAGER. 



like those of his tribe, the edge of the upper mandible somewhat 

 irregular, as if toothed, and the whole of a dirty gamboge or yel- 

 lowish horn color; this however, like that of most other birds, 

 varies according to the season. About the first of August he be- 

 gins to moult; the young feathers coming out of a greenish yellow 

 color, until he appears nearly all dappled with spots of scarlet and 

 greenish yellow. In this state of plumage he leaves us. How long 

 it is before he recovers his scarlet dress, or whether he continues 

 of this greenish color all winter, I am unable to say. The iris of 

 the eye is of a cream color, the legs and feet light blue. The fe- 

 male (now I believe for the first time figured) is green above and 

 yellow below ; the wings and tail brownish black, edged with green. 

 The young birds, during their residence here the first season, con- 

 tinue nearly of the same color with the female. In this circum- 

 stance we again recognise the wise provision of the Deity, in thus 

 clothing the female and the inexperienced young, in a garb so fa- 

 vourable for concealment among the foliage; as the weakness of 

 the one, and the frequent visits of the other to her nest, would 

 greatly endanger the safety of all. That the young males do 

 not receive their red plumage until the early part of the succeed- 

 ing spring, I think highly probable, from the circumstance of fre- 

 quently finding their red feathers, at that season, intermixed with 

 green ones, and the wings also broadly edged with green. These 

 facts render it also probable that the old males regularly change 

 their color, and have a summer and winter dress ; but this, farther 

 observations must determine. 



There is in the Brazils a bird of the same genus with this, and 

 very much resembling it, so much so as to have been frequently 

 confounded with it by European writers. It is the Tanagra Bra- 

 zilia of Turton ; and tho so like, is yet a very distinct species from 

 the present, as I have myself had the opportunity of ascertaining, 

 by examining two very perfect specimens from Brazil, now in the 

 possession of Mr. Peale, and comparing them with this. The prin- 



