14 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 pabt i 



destroy the eggs in a cardinal's nest beside his house in Michigan, 

 The adult birds flew about in neighboring bushes, giving alarm notes. 

 Alexander W. Blain (1948) includes this species in a list of birds 

 injured or Idlled by hitting "picture windows." 



Mrs. Laskey (MS.) mentions a cardinal that fell to the ground 

 with one wing bound to its body by spider webs. 



As to the longevity of cardinals she (1944) says: "Of 1,135 Cardinals 

 whose life span could have been three or more years, 30 (2.6 per- 

 cent) have reached the ages of three to six years, the oldest female 

 being 4:% years old; two males reached the ages of six years. A 

 male and a female 10 years of age and a male 13X years are cited 

 from the literatiu-e." 



This very old bird was banded by A. F. Ganier (1937) in February 

 1924 and was last seen in November 1936; he seemed very feeble when 

 last seen, though he had mated and reared a brood that year. 



Fall. — The cardinal can hardly be classed as a regularly migratory 

 species. Many individuals are decidedly sedentary, remaining in 

 the same locality for breeding and wintering, and seldom wandering 

 more than a few miles from where they were hatched. On the other 

 hand, banding records have shown that many others have wandered 

 considerable distances from where they were banded and in various 

 directions. A bird banded at Elberton, Ga., Apr. 4, 1944, was 

 recovered in Dickinson County, Va., Jan. 18, 1945, 105 miles to the 

 northeast. Another banded at Takoma Park, Md., May 10, 1939, 

 was taken at New Kensington, Pa., July 20, 1940, nearly 200 miles 

 to the northwest. 



The records show a decided trend of movement northeastward 

 and northward in the fall and late summer, which may account for 

 the many northern winter records and for the eventual northward 

 spread of the species Wliere encouraged by feeding stations, some 

 of these birds have remained and bred. 



Winter. — In their winter haunts, cardinals often gather into large 

 flocks of sometimes more than 60 or 70 birds and resort to the more 

 sheltered localities. Milton B. Trautman (1940) says of such resorts 

 in the vicinity of Buckeye Lake, Ohio: "In the coldest portion of 

 the year, especially when there was much snow, the bird was largely 

 confined to the dense cover of the larger of the brushy thickets, fallow 

 fields in which giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) and other weeds had 

 grown rank and tall, weedy fields of uncut com, and the dense shrub 

 layers and grapevine tangles of woodlands. * * * A few remained 

 throughout winter in the dense shrubbery about farmhouses, cottages, 

 and in villages, especially where they were fed." 



There is no more pleasing, soul-warming sight than one of these 

 bright red birds enlivening with color the somber woods or leafless 



