ZOOLOGY. 
183 
This beautiful tanager arrives at Puget Sound about May 15, and is a common summer 
resident in the Territory, especially near river banks and prairies where deciduous trees grow. 
Its song much resembles that of the black-winged red-bird, being of a few notes only, rather 
faintly whistled in the manner of the robin, and often sounding as if the bird was distant when 
it is quite near. I never could discover the nest of this bird, which is said to be built high in 
an evergreen tree. Its range is, doubtless, throughout the Territory, as I have shot it east of 
the Rocky mountains, and up to the 49th degree of latitude.—C. 
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 they were so abundant that 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 the low bushes, or the ground, as stated by Nuttall, the reverse being 
the rule, (at least at Puget 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 colors of the plumage of the male and female compare relatively much as do those of 
opposite sexes of the Garpodacus purpureus, or of the Curvirostra americana. 
The favorite habitat of the species, in those localities where I have observed them, is among 
the tall red fir trees belonging to that magnificent species the Abies douglassii. 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 neighboring white oaks (Q. Garry ana) on the prairie. Later in the season 
they may be seen very actively flying about in quest of insect food for their young. On the 
10th of July, 1856, I saw one of these birds carrying a worm or insect in its mouth, from which 
I inferred that the young were then hatched out. Both sexes during the breeding season are 
much less shy, the males during the day time frequently sitting on some low limb, rendering 
the scene joyous with their delightful melody. 
The bill of a specimen examined by me was quite sticky, as if smeared with the resinous 
exudation of their favorite firs. I opened the stomach of this bird and found it filled with 
insects, principally coleoptera. Among these I saw many fragments of the large green 
Buprestis , found generally on the Douglas fir trees. I saw no specimens of any other class of 
insects than coleoptera among the fragments, excepting obscure indications of wasps, or some 
other Hymenoptera. 
Note.—I obtained a large number of females of this species, which were transmitted to Prof. 
Baird, but unfortunately lost. A more extended description of the ordinary plumage of birds 
of this sex than is contained in the description given in the General Report may be of interest. 
Sp. Ch.— Beneath yellow, but not so bright as the male. Head and neck yellowish dusky 
green. Forehead slightly brighter than the crown. Back greenish dusky, tinged with grey; 
in some cases the back is of a plainer dusky, the admixture of grayish green not being so 
apparent. Throat, breast, vent, and lower tail coverts, bright yellow, inclining to white on 
the abdomen, and to ash on the sides. Two bars on the wings; one yellowish white, produced 
by the tips of the greater coverts of the secondaries; the other yellow and better defined, 
formed by the ends of the second row of lesser coverts. External margin of the tail feathers 
greenish.—S. 
