RED -BREASTED BLACKBIRD. 
Thou GH, with the beautiful figure of this 
bird, we have retained the appellation which 
it originally received from Edwards, it is evi^ 
dently a Tanagre, and not a Blackbird. 
In the warm climates of America," says 
BufFon, *' is found a very numeroiis genus of 
birds, some of which are called Tangaras at 
Brasil, and nomenclators have adopted this 
name for all the species included. These birds 
have been supposed, by most travellers, to be 
s. kind of Sparrows : in fa6l, they differ from 
the Fluropean Sparrows only by their colours ; 
and by a minute chara61:er, that the upper 
jiiandible is scalloped on both sides near the 
point. They closely resemble the Sparrows in 
their instin61:ive habits : they fly low, and 
by jerks ; their notes are for the most part 
harsh ; they may be also reckoned granivorous, 
for they live on very small fruits ; they are so- 
cial with each other, and are so familiar, like 
the Sparrows, as to visit the dwellings. They 
settle in dry grounds, and never in marshes ; 
and 
