FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. ^n 



This southern race of the Towhee does not associate with the 

 northern bird, which is abundant in the south in the winter. 



The latter selects haunts of much the same nature as those in 

 which it passes the summer, while the southern bird lives in heavy 

 growths of scrub palmetto. The notes of alleni differ from those of 

 erythrophthalmus ; its towhee is much higher, and its song, as Dr. 

 Allen pointed- out years ago, is shorter. It is also a shyer bird than 

 its northern cousin. 



593. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). Cardinal. Ad. $ .—Throat 



and region about the base of the bill black ; rest of the plumage bright rosy 

 red, the upper parts tipped with grayish ; a conspicuous crest ; bill red. Ad. 

 9 .—Throat and region about the base of bill grayish black ; crest, wings, 

 and tail dull red ; upper parts olive brownish ash ; under parts buffy ochra- 

 ceous, lighter on the belly, and sometimes tinged with red on the breast. L., 

 8-25 ; W., 3-75 ; T., 4-00 ; B., -64. 



^a//^«.— Eastern United States; breeds from Florida to Iowa and south- 

 ern New York ; resident throughout its range. 



Washington, common P. E, ; less common than formerly. Sing Sing, 

 A. V. Cambridge, casual, two instances. 



JVest, of twigs, rootlets, and strips of bark, lined with grasses and rootlets, 

 in bushes. I^ggs., three to four, white or bluish white, speckled or spotted 

 with grayish brown, cinnamon- brown, or umber, 1-00 x 70. 



One's first impression of the Cardinal Grosbeak will usually be that 

 he is rather a clumsy fellow. His body appears to be stiff, as if it 

 were made of wood, different in every way from the pliant, lithe body 

 of the Catbird, for example. He hops about on the ground with tail 

 held well up out of harm's way, and comes heavily down upon his 

 feet, as if his body were really very solid. In fact, he is not at all a 

 graceful bird. 



He is a famous singer, his song being a loud, clear whistle, into 

 which usually enters quite frequently th^ sound of gf q! q! and a 

 peculiar long-drawn-out e-e ! sometimes syllabled as " three cheers!" 

 He is a favorite cage-bird. The female Cardinal is herself a charming 

 singer, more pleasing to many than her mate, her music being softer 

 in tone and otherwise different from his. The common call-note of 

 both is a sharp, abrupt tsip I easily recognized after being once 

 heard. 



As the head of a family the Cardinal is admirable, not only in his 

 attentions to his lovely dove-colored mate, but in singing to her by the 

 hour, and in protecting her from intrusion or danger. To the young in 

 the nest he is an untiring provider of worms and grubs, and thus most 

 useful in a garden. Nothing can be more comical than his behavior 

 when he first conducts his young family out into the world while his 

 mate is engaged with her second sitting. He is as fussy as any young 



