The Red-crested Grey Cardinal. 121 



damp, however, they do not get on very well, but are apt 

 to grow up lame and otherwise crippled, so that it is a good 

 plan to take the young ones in-doors, and bring them up by 

 hand, which is easily done on mealworms, beetles, ants' eggs, 

 and egg and bread-crumbs. 



The female will sometimes build a nest of grass, lined 

 preferentially with horse-hair, in a bush; but more often she 

 will avail herself of some artificial foundation for the nest, 

 which is always a very neat and compact structure. 



This bird is a mixed feeder, insects entering as largely into 

 its diet as seeds; beetles, caterpillars, gentles, soaked bread 

 or sponge-cake, and egg must be added to the ordinary diet 

 when there are young ones to be fed; at other times canary, 

 millet and a little hemp seed will be sufficient, with a few 

 mealworms now and then, if the birds are kept in the house ; 

 but if the aviary is situated out of doors, the Cardinals will 

 find enough animal food in their abode to preserve them in 

 health and beauty, 



I do not think that any one who has kept the Cardinal 

 in a good-sized aviary could confine him in a cage, he is so 

 active and lively, and seems so thoroughly to enjoy his com- 

 parative freedom. In the house, however, he will become 

 very tame, taking flies and other insects from the fingers; 

 or, if allowed to fly about the room he will nimbly catch 

 them for himself upon the wing. 



It would be quite easy to acclimatise these birds in England, 

 were it not for cats and sportsmen, who are directly attracted 

 by a strange bird, and cannot rest until they have compassed 

 its destruction. This was the case with an old male I had 

 kept for eight or nine years; he had escaped several times 

 during that time, remaining out on one occasion for three 

 days, when he returned to his cage; however, he went out 

 once too often, for he never came back the last time, nabbed 

 by a cat probably, or perhaps trapped by a neighbour. 



The song of the Cardinal is Thrush-like and agreeable, and 



