PERCHING BIRDS. 
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among cotton-woods along the streams, at an elevation of about seven thousand five 
hundred feet, and much more abundantly among the pines, up to nine thousand 
feet and even ten thousand, feet above sea level. He afterwards observed that it 
was common in Southern Arizona, and found it lingering along the Gila River, 
even so late as the middle of October, at which time nearly all these birds had 
migrated southward. As others had done, he noted the close similarity that 
obtains between this and the scarlet tanager. “ It is busy the whole time gleaning 
from among the pines and spruces the larger beetles and insects which infest them, 
and generally keeps well up among the higher branches, whence it makes its 
presence known by occasional bursts of melody.” Dr. George Suckley gave the 
following account of this species:—“ The beautiful Louisiana tanager is quite 
abundant in certain seasons in the vicinity of Fort Steilacoom. In 1854 but a 
limited number made their appearance, while, on the contrary, in the summer of 
1856 I could readily have obtained a hundred specimens. I have had frequent 
opportunities of studying their habits, and have never yet seen them descend to 
ground as stated by Nuttall, the reverse being the rule (at least at Paget 
Sound); the difficulty being generally to find the bird sufficiently low down on 
fir-tree branches to allow fine shot to reach it with any degree of certainty. . . . 
The favourite habitat of the species, in those localities where I have observed it, 
is among the tall, red fir trees belonging to that magnificent species, the Abies 
douglasi. They seemingly prefer the edges of the forest, rarely retiring to its 
depths unless for concealment when alarmed. In early summer, at Fort Steilacoom, 
they are generally seen during the middle of the day, sunning themselves in the 
firs, occasionally darting from one of these trees to another, or to some of the 
neighbouring white oaks on the prairies. Later in the season they may be seen 
very actively flying about in quest of insect food for their young. Both sexes 
during the breeding-season are much less shy; the males during the daytime 
frequently sitting on some low limb, rendering the scene joyous with their 
delightful melody.” The eggs of this tanager are green, sparingly dotted with 
very dark purplish brown. 
WMte-Capped One of the loveliest of the family is the white-capped tanager 
Tanager. (Step)}tanopftorus leucocephalus), a summer visitor to Argentina, where, 
says Mr. W. H. Hudson, “it makes its appearance in spring in the woods bordering on 
the Plata River, and is usually seen singly or in pairs. The nest is built in a tree ten 
or twelve feet from the ground, and is somewhat shallow and lined with soft dry 
grass. The female lays four eggs, white and spotted with red. During incubation 
the male sits concealed in the thick foliage close by, amusing itself by the hour 
with singing, its performance consisting of chattering disconnected notes, uttered 
in so low a tone as to make one fancy that the bird is merely trying to recall 
some melody it has forgotten, or endeavouring to construct a new one by jerking 
out a variety of sounds at random. The bird never gets beyond this unsatis¬ 
factory stage, however, and must be admired for its exquisite beauty alone.” 
Azara named this species the “ Blue White-Headed Beautiful,” and the term 
was justified, for the entire plumage of both sexes is a lovely deep corn-flower 
blue, surmounted by a cap of silvery-white feathers; a crimson spot ornamenting 
the forehead, looking like a drop of blood. 
