TANAGRAS, 
465 
TANAGRAS. 
In these the Bill is short, robust, hard, in the form of a flattened 
cone and somewhat depressed at the base; the upper mandible 
bluntly keeled, curved and notched near the tip, longer, wider, and 
projecting over the lower ; the inferior mandible inflected at the 
edges. Nostrils basal, rounded, open, partly covered by the feath- 
ers of the frontlet. Tongue short, sharp, and cleft at tip. Tarsus 
rather longer than the middle toe ; inner toe united at base to the 
middle one ; hind toe-nail largest. — Wings of moderate dimensions ; 
the 3 first primaries nearly of equal length and longest. — The female 
and young differ much from the male in complete plumage, which is 
subject to great changes according to the season. The moult is half- 
yearly, and the general colors of the species peculiarly brilliant. 
These are active, but not very cautious birds, leading a solitary 
life, or roving about only in families, and frequenting shady and 
recluse woods. They are sudden and capricious in their movements, 
seldom alighting on the ground, flying briskly, and progressing by 
hops. Their voice is sometimes rather musical, though not gener- 
ally agreable. They build in trees ; feed indifferently on seeds, 
berries, and insects, which last they seize on the wing, or collect in- 
dustriously from the branches of trees. — They are peculiar to Amer- 
ca, and chiefly tropical. 
Subgenus. — Pyranga, 
The upper mandible with an obtuse tooth on either side near 
the middle. 
SCARLET TANAGER or BLACK-WINGED SUM- 
MER RED-BIRD. 
(Tanagra rubra, Lin. Wilson, ii. p. 42. pi. 11. fig. 3. [male] and 
fig. 4. [female]. Phil. Museum, No. 6128.) 
Sp. Charact. — Scarlet-red; wings and emarginate tail black ; the 
base of the plumage ash, then white. — Female , young , and au- 
tumnal male , dull green, in the latter inclining to yellow ; beneath 
yellow ; wings and tail dusky. 
This splendid and transient resident, accompanying 
fine weather in all his wanderings, arrives from his win- 
