976 Eeport of State Geoi.ogist. 



State beyond the Wabash Valley. It has not been reported from Lake 

 County; is rare in Cook Count}^, 111.; Porter County, scarce (Trouslot); 

 rare winter resident at Kouts (Parker); Laporte County, Michigan 

 City, one record (Byrkit). In the northeastern part of the State it is 

 more numerous and seems to be increasing in numbers and extending 

 its range into Michigan. I have winter records from the following 

 counties: Steuben, Angola, several the winter of 1896-7 (Mrs. Sniff); 

 Dekalb, the following winters: 1888-9 (Snyder); 1889-90, 1890-91, 

 1892-3, 1894-5 (Mrs. Hine); Allen (Stockbridge); Elkhart and Kosci- 

 usko (Juday); Fulton (Gould). In Michigan it has been taken in 

 Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe and Kent counties, and at Detroit (Cook, 

 Birds of Mich., p. 117). 



By the first of March the Cardinal begins its songs. Both sexes 

 have the gift, but the male is the superior singer. Mating follows 

 soon after the opening of the season of song. I observed the begin- 

 ning of their courtship, March 7, 1887. Mr. Eobert. Eidgway says one 

 that he studied had six very distinct songs. He adds: "The diffi- 

 culty of expressing a bird's notes by words is well known, but the fol- 

 lowing attempt may give some idea of the different songs of my Car- 

 dinal: 



I, Hoit — whoit, whoit, whoit (eleven times) ; lioit-whoit, whoit, whoit (eleven 

 times). 

 II. Wheii, when, when, when, wheu. 

 III. Tchew, tchew, tchew, tchew, tohew. 

 IV.' Bird'ie, bird'ie, bird''ie — tchew, tchew, tchew, tchew. 



V. Bird^'ie, bird''ie, bird'ie, bird^ie, bird''ie, bird^ie. 

 VI. Whoy^it — whoy'it, whoy'et, whoy'et, chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi (a jingling trill 

 so long continued that it apparently ended only when the singer became 

 out of breath). 



"The notes of many Cardinal Grosbeaks are clear and tender — far 

 sweeter than the mellowest notes of fife or flageolet." 



The above songs are readily recognized as good interpretations in 

 our language of the efforts of many individuals we have heard. In 

 some of its notes there is some resemblance to those of the Carolina 

 Wren. Mr. Nehrling interprets its ordinary song as: "Jehu-jehu- 

 jehu-jehu-teii, teii, teii. teu, trrrrrrrr." Such is the translation. To 

 know the song one must hear it and feel it. No keener interpreter of 

 Nature has caught its spirit than Hon. B. S. Parker. He says: 



