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 ;Breeds:
 * Through its United States range.


 * Nest:
 * Rather flat and ragged; made of sticks, root fibres, etc.; placed on the high horizontal branch, preferably of an oak or pine.


 * Eggs:
 * 3-6, dull green, thickly spotted with brown and mauve.


 * Range:
 * Eastern United States, west to the Plains, and north to southern Canada; in winter the West Indies, Central America, and northern South America.

A few years ago the Scarlet Tanager was as familiar hereabout as the Yellow Warbler, or the Wood Thrush; but now it has, in a great measure, left the gardens and frequented-woodlands, and become the resident of lonely woods. Together with all of our brilliantly plumed birds, it has been persecuted almost out of existence. Now that this bird slaughter is against the law in all communities that pretend to be civilized, the killing is at least abated, but the Tanager's confidence in humanity has not yet returned.

It is impossible to mistake this bird in full spring dress, for any other. His fall coat, however, is olivaceous like the female, and, as for the unmoulted young, they are a motley lot, mainly olive-green, but with little tufts of scarlet, yellow, and bright green, appearing at random, as if they were examples of feather patchwork. It is easy to see the wisdom that clothes the female and young of this flaming Tanager in sober colours. If a brooding female wore a scarlet cover-ing, it would surely betray the nest to all enemies; and if the young were likewise conspicuous, they would be gobbled by Hawks before they understood that Hawks are hardly friendly.

The Tanager, though of a brilliant scarlet, lacks the luminous quality that reveals the Baltimore Oriole and Blackburnian Warbler, when partly concealed in dark green foliage; you will be most likely to find it in a grove of oaks, hickories, or swamp-maples, where there is an undergrowth of ferns, — not briars, — near by a stream or flag. edged pond. It is a fruit and berry eater, as well as the consumer of beetles, and other large winged insects, together with many larvae.