ul work possible to
the sculptor's art, portraying Audubon in the garb he wore when he was
proud and happy to be called the "American Woodman," and at his feet
should stand the Eagle which he named the "Bird of Washington," and near
should perch the Mocking Bird, as once, in his description, it flew and
fluttered and sang to the mind's eye and ear from the pages of the old
reading book.

C. C. MARBLE.

[Illustration: From col. F. M. Woodruff.
SUMMER TANAGER
Copyrighted by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.]

THE SUMMER TANAGER.

The tanagers are birds of such uncommon beauty that when we have taken
the pictures of the entire family the group will be a notable one and
will add attractiveness to the portfolio. [See Vol. I, pp. 31 and 216.]
This specimen is also called the Summer Red-bird or Rose Tanager, and is
found pretty generally distributed over the United States during the
summer months, wintering in Cuba, Central America, and northern South
America. As will be seen, the adult male is a plain vermilion red. The
plumage of the female is less attractive. In habits this species
resembles the Scarlet Tanager, perhaps the most brilliant of the group,
but is not so retiring, frequenting open groves and often visiting towns
and cities.

The nesting season of this charming bird extends to the latter part of
July, but varies with the latitude and season. Bark strips and leaves
interwoven with various vegetable substances compose the nest, which is
usually built on a horizontal or drooping branch, near its extremity and
situated at the edge of a grove near the roadside. Davie says: "All the
nests of this species which I have seen collected in Ohio are very thin
and frail structures; so thin that the eggs may often be seen from
beneath. A nest sent me from Lee county, Texas, is compactly built of
a cottony weed, a few stems of Spanish moss, and lined with fine grass
stems." Mr. L. O. Pindar states that nests found in Kentucky are
compactly built, but not very thickly lined. The eggs are beautiful,
being a bright, light emerald green, spotted, dotted, and blotched with
various shades of lilac, brownish-purple, and dark brown.

Chapman says the Summer Tanager may be easily identified, not alone by
its color but by its unique call-note, a clearly enunciated _chicky,
tucky, tuck_. Its song bears a general resemblance to that of the
Scarlet, but to so