REDSTART. 283 
Male: lustrous blue-black, belly and crissum white, sides of the breast, large spot at 
bases of the remiges, and basal half of the tail feathers (except the middle pair) fiery 
orange, belly often tinged with the same. Female: olivaceous, ashier on the head, en- 
tirely white below, wings and tail blackish, with the flame color of the male represented 
by yellow. Young male like the female, but browner, the yellow of an orange hue. 
From the circumstance that many spring males are shot in the general plumage of the 
female, but showing irregular isolated black patches it is probable that the species re- 
quires at least two years to gain its perfect plumage. Length &4; wivg and tail 
about 24. 
‘Habitat, the greater part of temperate North America, especially the Eastern Pro- 
vince; north to Fort Simpson; west to Utah; south in South America to Ecuador. 
West Indies. 
Abundant summer resident, arriving the first week in May and re- 
maining until September. The Redstart is the most abundant arboreal 
species of the family, and breeds with us abundantly. Sometimes they 
appear in large flocks, composed almost entirely of females and males in 
imperfect plumage. Usually they seem to migrate individually or in 
company with other species. The first to arrive are full plumaged males. 
During the migrations they are trequently seen about the fruit and 
shade trees.in cities. They are decidedly birds of the forest, and during 
the breeding season are seldom seen except in rather extensive or retired 
woods. As its structure indicates, it is par excellence the fly-catcher of the 
family. As it hops from limb to limb, opening and closing its tail, or 
flies from its perch with clicking bill to secure its insect food, its em- 
phatic and beautiful colors render it a very attractive sight. 
The nest is placed in the fork of a sapling from six to fifteen feet fron 
the ground. It is constructed of vegetable fibres, strips of grape vine 
bark, and vrasses, with a lining ot"fine grasses and horse-hair, The eggs 
are four, sviled grayish-white, dotted and blotched with brown, lavender, 
and purple. They vary in size, and average .66 by .49. 
FAMILY TANAGRIDA. TANAGERS. 
Apparently intermediate between Sylvicolide and Fringillide. Abundant in species in 
the tropics; in the United States represented by a single genus. Primaries nine; other 
family characters not well etermined, but, for our purposes, are sufficiently set forth in 
the following description of the 
GENUS PYRANGA. Vieillot. 
Bill nearly straight, sub-conical, cylindrical, notched at tip; culmen moderately 
curved ; commissure with a median acute lobe. Wings elongated, the four outer primaries 
about equal. Tail moderate, slightly forked. 
