THE ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. aA 
of thirteen inches. Next comes a mat of dead leaves, mostly beech. Inside 
this in turn is a tough basket-work of grape-vine bark and a lining of fine 
fresh grass cured in the nest. It measures, inside, three and a quarter inches 
in width and two and a half in depth. 
The eggs are quite variable; even those in the same nest are hard to 
reconcile, both as to shape and markings. Because of the similarity in ap- 
pearance, Cowbirds’ eggs are easily imposed upon the Cardinal. Professor 
Jones and I once found a nest with the bird on, whose three eggs were to 
the best of our judgment the combined product of as many Cowbirds. 
The young hatch out in about fourteen days, and are ready to leave 
the nest in ten days more. ‘The father is especially devoted to his offspring, 
and often cares for them while the female is busy with another nest. 
Rey. W. F. Henninger informs me that a German farmer of his acquaint- 
ance near Tiffin kept a Cardinal in captivity for almost exactly thirty years. 
The bird was not taken from the nest by its long-time owner and its age 
at the time it came into his possession was not known. ‘The captive song- 
ster became a great favorite and was for years regarded almost as a member 
of the family. Its death in December, 1902, followed within a day or so 
that of the farmer’s wife. 
No. 45. 
y ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 
A. O. U. No. 565. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). 
Description.—aAdult male: Head and neck all around and upper parts 
glossy black; below white; a rich carmine or rose-red crescentic or shield-shaped 
patch on the breast bordering the black of the throat, and produced irregularly 
down the middle of the lower breast; lining of wings rose; middle coverts and 
a large spot at base of primaries white; rump white; much concealed white on 
cervix and back, and a slight fuscous edging of feathers; white blotches near 
extremity of tail-feathers on three outer pairs; flanks sometimes tawny, with 
dusky streaking; bill light or white; culmen much curved; feet dark brown. 
Adult female: Quite different; above dusky brown in streaks, with obscure 
whitish median, and conspicuous white superciliary lines; feathers of crown and 
back heavily edged with flaxen or buffy; coverts and inner quills merely tipped 
with whitish; wings and tail fuscous, lining of wing saffron-yellow,—no black 
anywhere; below white with slight buffy or tawny suffusion on sides, breast and 
flanks ; sharply and finely streaked with dusky on sides of throat, breast and sides; 
auriculars hair-brown; bill light brown; feet dusky. Young: Like female, the 
males gradually acquiring adult characters and first known by rosy lining of 
wings. Adult male, length, 7.75-8.50 (196.9-215.9) ; av. of six Columbus males: 
