Tanagra ludoviciana, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 105.
Louisiana Tanager, Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 471.
Adult Male, in Spring. Fig. 1, 2.
Bill rather short, robust, tapering, compressed toward the end, acute. Upper mandible with its dorsal outline declinate and slightly convex, the ridge rather narrow, the sides convex, the edges sharp, overlapping, with two slightly prominent small festoons about the middle, and a distinct notch close to the tip, which is a little declinate. Lower mandible strong, with the angle short and wide, the dorsal line straight, the back broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nostrils round, basal.
Head rather large, ovate, flattish above; neck very short; body ovate, compact. Legs shortish; tarsus short, compressed, rather stout, with seven anterior scutella, and two lateral plates forming an acute edge behind; toes of moderate length; middle toe longer than tarsus, lateral toes much shorter and equal, hind toe stout. Claws rather large, arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended; feathers of the head stiffish with silky lustre, bristles at the base of the upper mandible small. Wings of ordinary length, the second quill longest, the first four having the outer web attenuated towards the end; secondaries slightly emarginate. Tail rather long, straight, emarginate, of twelve feathers.
Bill dull greenish-yellow, brown along the ridge. Feet greyish-blue. The head all round is of a beautiful rich carmine, fading gradually on the nape, paler on the throat and fading on the fore neck; the rest of the neck, all the lower parts, two bands on the wing, formed by the middle coverts, and the extremities of the secondary coverts, together with the rump and upper tail-coverts pure bright yellow. The anterior half of the back, the scapulars, two bands on the wings, and the inner secondaries black, the latter broadly margined at the end and tipped with yellowish-white; alula, primary coverts, and primary quills chocolate-brown, margined with yellowish-white; tail black, the feathers narrowly tipped with greyish-white, and slightly margined toward the end with yellowish white.
Length to end of tail 7 1/4 inches; wing from flexure 3 9 1/2/12; tail 3; bill along the ridge 7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 8 1/2/12 tarsus 8/12; hind toe 4/12, its claw 4/12; middle toe 6/12, its claw 5/12.
The female which has not been described or figured before, will be seen on Plate CCCC, Fig. 4. The bill is dusky brown above, light greyish-yellow beneath. The head, ear-coverts, and hind neck, dull green, as is the rump; the middle of the back and the scapulars greyish-brown tinged with green. Anterior wing-coverts greyish-brown; middle coverts black with the extremities dull yellow, secondary coverts and inner secondaries blackish-brown, tipped with greyish-white; alula, primary coverts, and primary quills chocolate-brown, slightly edged with brownish-white; tail-feathers similar, but margined with yellowish-green. The lower parts are light dull greenish-yellow, the sides tinged with grey.
Length to end of tail 6 3/4 inches; wing from flexure 3 9/12; tail 2 10/12; bill along the ridge 7/12; tarsus 8/12; middle toe and claw 9/12.