438 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Genus CARDINALIS Bonaparte. 



593. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). Cardinal; Redbird; 

 Virginia Cardinal; Virginia Nightingale; Cardinal Grosbeak; 

 Cardinal Redbird. 



Plumage of adult male : throat, chin and region about base of bill black ; 

 other parts rosy red, the feathers above slightly tipped with grayish ; crest 

 prominent ; bill red. Plumage of adult female : throat, chin and region 

 about base of bill grayish black ; crest, wings and tail red, not brilliant as in 

 male ; upper parts brownish ; below buffy ochraceous, lighter on belly ; bill 

 red. Immature plumage: above more brownish; wings darker brown and 

 with less red ; only traces of black on lores and chin ; wood brown below ; 

 bill pinkish buff. Wing 3.70 ; culmen 0.72 ; tarsus 0.95 ; tail 4.05. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States ; breeding from Florida to Iowa and 

 southern New York west to the Plains and resident ; casual in New England. 



County Records. — Kennebec ; one was shot from a flock of three near Gar- 

 diner, Maine, by Homer R. Dill on December 19, 1895, and it was an adult 

 female ; through the kindness of Mr. Dill the specimen is in my collection, 

 (Knight). 



The bird taken by Mr. Dill shows no signs of having been 

 a caged bird, and the fact that there were three of them seen 

 together also tends to prove they were wild birds. This is the 

 same specimen reported in List of Birds of Maine, p. 102 under 

 an erroneous date supplied by Prof. Powers. Mr. Smith 

 reported the species in his list as a straggler or escaped cage 

 bird, but Mr. DilPs specimen seems to be the only one taken 

 in the State under conditions which would seem to preclude its 

 ever being captive. 



In Kansas I became slightly acquainted with this species. 

 In habits the Cardinal seemed to be a bird of the hedgerows, 

 brush and brambles, hopping through the thickets and spend- 

 ing much time on the ground, hopping about with tail well 

 erect. Both male and female sing, uttering a succession of 

 clear whistled notes which are very pleasing to the ear, but 

 difficult to transcribe to paper. The alarm note is a sharp 

 "tchip." At the time when under my observation they were 

 just begiiniing to build and both sexes were busily carrying 

 material to the selected sites. Osage orange hedges, bramble 



