d-cleaving wings.
Where shall man wander, and where shall he dwell--
Beautiful birds--that ye come not as well?
Ye have nests on the mountain, all rugged and stark,
Ye have nests in the forest, all tangled and dark;
Ye build and ye brood 'neath the cottagers' eaves,
And ye sleep on the sod, 'mid the bonnie green leaves;
Ye hide in the heather, ye lurk in the brake,
Ye dine in the sweet flags that shadow the lake;
Ye skim where the stream parts the orchard decked land,
Ye dance where the foam sweeps the desolate strand."

[Illustration: RED-RUMPED TANAGER.]

THE RED-RUMPED TANAGER.

An American family, the Tanagers are mostly birds of very brilliant
plumage. There are 300 species, a few being tropical birds. They are
found in British and French Guiana, living in the latter country in open
spots of dwellings and feeding on bananas and other fruits. They are
also said to do much harm in the rice fields.

In "The Auk," of July, 1893, Mr. George K. Cherrie, of the Field Museum,
says of the Red-Rumped Tanager:

"During my stay at Boruca and Palmar, (the last of February) the
breeding season was at its height, and I observed many of the Costa Rica
Red-Rumps nesting. In almost every instance where possible I collected
both parents of the nests, and in the majority of cases found the males
wearing the same dress as the females. In a few instances the male was
in mottled plumage, evidently just assuming the adult phase, and in a
lesser number of examples the male was in fully adult plumage--velvety
black and crimson red. From the above it is clear that the males begin
to breed before they attain fully adult plumage, and that they retain
the dress of the female until, at least, the beginning of the second
year.

"While on this trip I had many proofs that, in spite of its rich
plumage, and being a bird of the tropics, it is well worthy to hold a
place of honor among the song birds. And if the bird chooses an early
hour and a secluded spot for expressing its happiness, the melody is
none the less delightful. At the little village of Buenos Aires, on the
Rio Grande of Terraba, I heard the song more frequently than at any
other point. Close by the ranch house at which we were staying, there
is a small stream bordered by low woods and underbrush, that formed a
favorite resort for the birds. Just below the ranch is a convenient spot
where we took our morning bath. I was