Description.—Bluish grey, paler below; wings and tail blackish, edged with greenish blue; lesser wing-coverts dull greenish blue, like the edgings of the wings; bill plumbeous, feet brown: whole length 6·0 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·7. Female similar.
Hab. S.E. Brazil and Argentina.
In the ‘Catalogue of Birds’ I referred the Argentine Blue Tanager to T. cyanoptera, though expressing a doubt upon the subject. I am now disposed to adopt Graf. v. Berlepsch’s view that the Argentine species rather belongs to T. sayaca.—P. L. S.
This species migrates as far south as Buenos Ayres, and appears in spring, in small flocks or parties of three or four birds, in the woods on the shores of the Plata. The male utters a series of peculiar squealing notes by way of song.
[38.] TANAGRA BONARIENSIS (Gm.).
(BLUE-AND-YELLOW TANAGER.)
Tanagra bonariensis, Berl. Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 119; Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 164. Tanagra striata, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 480 (Buenos Ayres, Mendoza, Cordova); Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 21; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 170 (Buenos Ayres); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 596 (Catamarca); Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl. viii. p. 91 (Concepcion).
Description.—Lores, region round the eyes, and back black; rump orange; head all round and edging of wings and tail blue; abdomen yellow, passing into orange on the breast; bill horn-colour; feet brown: whole length 7 inches, wing 3·6, tail 2·8. Female greyish brown; beneath paler, tinged with yellowish olive on the rump and throat.
Hab. South Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentine Republic, and Bolivia.
The plumage of the male of this fine Tanager is rich blue above and yellow beneath; the upper plumage of the female is a uniform dull olive-green, the breast and belly buff-colour.