CARDINAL. 207 



pini:;oi's have dropped fr«>iu tlie fliorus tliut liis v<jice lie- 

 comes eonspieinMis. 



\(>t far away liis mate is doubtless sitting on her l)lu- 

 isli white eggs in a nest low d(>wn in the croteh of a husli. 

 lie in his deej) indigo costume may be easily identified, 

 hut she is a dull brownish bird, about the size of a Ca- 

 nary, sparrowlike in a})pearance, though with unstreaked 

 })luniage, and a difficult bird to name, even when you 

 have a specimen in your hand, while in the bush, if silent, 

 slie is a puzzle. But she is far too good a mother not to 

 protest if you venture too near her lionie, and lier sliarp 

 l>'d ()Y peet usually calls her mate, whom you Avill recog- 

 nize at once. 



The Cardinal is about the size of a Towhee, with 

 plumage which, except for a black throat, is almost 

 wholly rosy red. Seeing a mounted 

 ,, ;. ,. ' ;. Cardinal, one miffht imamne that he 

 was a conspicuous bird in life and easy 

 to observe ; but the truth is that, in spite of his bright 

 colors, the Cardinal is a surprisingly difficult bird to see. 

 You may often hear his sliarp, insignificant l^'lj) without 

 catching a glimpse of the caller, so wxll can he conceal 

 himself. His olive-brown mate is, of course, even more 

 difficult to find, and when y<ju do see her you would 

 hardly suspect the relationship were it not for her actions 

 and the striking crest worn by both sexes. 



Tlie ('ardinaFs song is a rich, sympathetic wdiistle. 

 His mate also sings at times, and I carry in my memory 

 a musical courting I once observed, in which a ])air of 

 these beautiful bii-ds were the actors. The song begins 

 witli irlirc-ijini^ irJt<u'-i/(>ii, long-drawn notes, which are 

 followed by a more rapid Jnfrnj, hnrnj^ hurry ; quicl'^ 

 (jnicl\ <jii'i<-l\ and other notes difficult of descri])tion. 

 The Cardijial is a bird of tlie Soutlii'm ratlier tlian of 

 the Northei-n States, and is rarely seen north of New 



