CARDINAL FINCH 47 
spotted with black; sometimes bluish-brown spots 
are mingled with the black. 
Two other species of Spermophila—S. palustris 
and S. melanocephala—are found in Argentina. 
CARDINAL FINCH 
Paroaria cucullata 
Above light grey; wings and tail dark grey; head, crest, and 
throat brilliant scarlet, the scarlet extending downward to the chest ; 
beneath pure white ; length 8 inches. 
Tuts well-known species is perhaps the finest Finch 
the Argentines have. The entire upper plumage is 
clear grey, the under surface pure white; but its 
chief glory is its crest, which, with the anterior 
part of the head and throat, is of the most vivid 
scarlet. The song has little variety, but is remarkably 
loud, and has that cheerful ring which most people 
admire in their caged pets, possibly because it pro- 
duces the idea in the listener’s mind that the songster 
is glad to be a prisoner. As a cage-bird this Finch 
enjoys an extraordinary popularity ; and a stranger 
in Buenos Ayres, seeing the numbers that are exposed 
for sale by the bird-dealers in the markets of that 
city, might fancy that a Cardinal in a cage is con- 
sidered a necessary part of the ménage of every house 
in the country. This large supply of caged birds 
comes from South Brazil, Paraguay, and the north- 
eastern part of the Argentine country, where the 
