THE PERCHING BirDs. 109 
and masters, and, as in mankind, they should not be. 
Occasionally these birds, both male and female, take 
to imitation, and where the note mim- 
icked is a clear, full one, the success is 
pronounced. [I remember hearing a 
whippoorwill imitated, and as it was 
in broad daylight, the sound was the 
more noticeable; for, contrary as birds 
are disposed to be, I never heard 
the whippoorwill at high noon. & 
Nuttall has treated of the Boone 
Cardinal’s song most ex- me : i a 
haustively and correctly, 
but so very varied are the 
many whistlings that 
the bird must be heard to 
be appreciated. Nuttall gives 
a dozen variations of the 
bird’s song. It were easy to 
ditional ones. We get an 
ever, by remembering one 
tones of the Cardinal are whistled much 
in the manner of the “% human voice.” 
A migratory grosbeak, brilliantly black and white, 
with a superbly rose-tinted breast, comes from the 
south to the Middle States every spring, and while 
many remain, others go farther north, even to Canada, 
although beyond the United States they are said to 
be rare. Weall have our preferences and are entitled 
to them, and my fancy is that this Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak is our finest singer. Of course there goes 
up the shout, “ What of our thrushes?” That has 
10 














give a dozen ad- 
idea of it, how- 
fact, that “all the 
SAN 
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ANS 


