Emberiza Ciris, LINNÆUS; Le Pape, BUFFON; Der gemahlte Ammer,
BECHSTEIN.
This bird owes its name to its plumage. It is five inches and a half in
length, of which the tail measures two. The beak is greyish brown, the
iris nut brown; the feet brown; the head and neck are violet, the circle
round the eyes is red; the upper part of the back and the scapulars are
yellowish green, the lower part, the rump, and all the under part of the
body are of a fine red; the lesser wing-coverts violet brown with a red
tinge, the greater of a dull green; the pen-feathers brown, some
bordered with grey, others with red; the tail-feathers are also brown,
but the two middle ones are of a changeable red, and the outer border of
the others is of the same colour.
The upper part of the body of the female is of a dull green, the under
part yellow green; her pen-feathers are brown edged with green, as are
also the tail-feathers.
As the plumage of this bird does not come to perfection before the third
year, there must naturally be several varieties. During the first year
the male and female are of the same colour; the head of the male does
not become a violet blue till the second year, and the rest of its
plumage is then a blue green, as are also the edges of the quill and
tail-feathers, which are elsewhere brown.
The female at this time is of a fine changeable blue. If to these
differences arising from age are added the two moultings which take
place every year, we shall not be surprised rarely to meet with two
birds alike. There is besides another variety, having the under part of
the body yellowish, except a red spot on the breast; and again another,
which in the time of moulting is entirely white.
OBSERVATIONS.--These birds are found from the frontiers of Canada to
Guiana and Brazil; none, however, are seen in Carolina less than one
hundred and thirty miles from the sea. They only show themselves in
summer, and build principally on orange or similar trees. English and
Dutch sailors take home many of these birds, and it has been said
that in England they have succeeded in making them breed in aviaries
in gardens, spacious enough to contain orange trees, on which they
have constructed their nests. When in a cage they are fed on millet,
canary-seed, endive, and poppy-seed, on which they may be preserved
from eight to ten years. Their song is soft and agreeable.