Louisiana and Scarlet Tanager by John James Audubon Art Print

An archival premium Quality Art Print of the Louisiana and Scarlet Tanagers as drawn by John James Audubon for sale by Brandywine General Store. The artist drew these small songbirds  for his epic ornithology book, The Birds of America, being the 354th picture or plate in the 1st edition of this book, now known as the Havell edition. Audubon features several tanagers in the picture, some males with their spring plumage and some older females. Tanagra Ludoviciana - Audubon says the following about the scarlet and Louisiana Tanager "WILSON was the first ornithologist who figured this handsome bird. From his time until the return of Mr. TOWNSEND from the Columbia river no specimen seems to have been procured. That gentleman forwarded several males in much finer condition than those brought by LEWIS and CLARKE. Some of these I purchased, and, on his return to Philadelphia, I was presented with a female by my young friend Dr. TRUDEAU. The account of this species is by THOMAS NUTTALL, who, however, was unacquainted with the female. We first observed this fine bird in a thick belt of wood near Lorimer's Fork of the Platte, on the 4th of June, at a considerable distance to the east of the first chain of the Rocky Mountains (or Black Hills), so that the species in all probability continues some distance down the Platte. We have also seen them very abundant in the spring, in the forests of the Columbia, below Fort Vancouver. On the Platte they appeared shy and almost silent, not having there apparently commenced breeding. About the middle of May we observed the males in small numbers scattered through the dark pine forests of the Columbia, restless, shy, and flitting when approached, but at length more sedentary when mated. We frequently traced them out by their song, which is a loud, short, slow, but pleasing warble, not much unlike the song of the Common Robin, delivered from the tops of the lofty fir-trees. This music continues at short intervals throughout the whole forenoon, during which time our songster is busily engaged in quest of such coleopterous insects and larvae as are to be found on the young branches of the trees he frequents, and which require an assiduous and long-continued search to gratify his wants. Of the female and nest we are still ignorant, though they are in all probability very similar to those of our other known species. We have not seen this bird as far south as Upper California, though it may exist in the thicker forests remote from the coast, which we had no opportunity of visiting. Mr. TOWNSEND says that "this handsome bird is called Ik kok koot by the Chinook Indians." Audubon bird print #354