458 



THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 



Europe as a cage bird. Its voice is superior to that of tlie preceding species, although none 

 of the Wliidah Birds are remarkable for the musical power or brilliancy of their song. It is 

 bright and sprightly in all its movements, flitting about its cage with a restless acti\'ity 

 and fearless demeanour that endear it to its owner. From the Paradise AVhidah Bird it 

 may be distinguished not only by its colouring, but by the curious arrangement of its tail- 

 feathers, which are very short, with the exception of the four central feathers, which are 

 most singularly elongated, each feather presenting to the eye little but the bare shaft for 

 the greater part of its length, and then slightly widening towards the extremities. The 



sides of the head and around the neck are 

 deep rusty red, and the back of the neck and 

 top of the head are mottled black. The 

 total length of the Shaft-tailed Whidah Bird 

 is from nine to ten inches. 



The Grosbeaks or Hawfinches now claim 

 our attention. They are all remarkable for 

 their very large, broad, and thick beaks, a 

 peculiarity of construction which is intended 

 to serve them in their seed-crvishing habits. 



The most magnificent example of this 

 group is the Cardinal or Scarlet Gros- 

 BEAE, an inhabitant of various parts of 

 America, where it is known under the titles 

 of Eed Bird, Crested Eed Bii-d, and A'irginian 

 Nightingale. 



It is rather a large bird, measuring about 

 eight inches in total length, and is coloured 

 in a most gorgeous fashion. The back is 

 dusky red, and the whole of the rest of the 

 plumage is bright vivid scarlet with the 

 exception of a patch of jetty black short 

 feathers that decorate the chin, forehead, and 

 l)ase of the beak. Upon the head there is a 

 high pointed crest, which can be raised or 

 lowered at pleasure. Even the bill is bright 

 scarlet. The female is a smaller bird, and is 

 not nearly so handsome as her mate. The 

 upper parts of the body are brown-olive, and 

 the tail, tip of the crest, and the wings are 

 scarlet. The chin and forehead are ashen 

 grey, and the breast and abdomen are drab 

 with a dash of red. The bill is scarlet like 

 that of the male. 



The voice of the Cardinal Grosbeak is 



naturally fine, though the song is apt to be 



rather too monotonous, the bird repeating thu 



same phrase twenty or thirty times before 



proceeding to anothei'. Still its musical powers are sitfficiently marked to earn for the 



bird the title of Virginian Nightingale, and it is a cttrious fact that the female often 



sings nearly as Avell as her mate. 



This Inrd seems to be of a very tender-hearted disposition, and given to the adoption 

 of other birds when young and helpless. Wilson mentions that ho placed a young cow 

 bird in the same cage with a Carduial Grosbeak, which the latter immediately adopted, 

 and reared the poor helpless little creature that had appealed so suddenly to its com- 

 passionate feelings. Mr. Webber moreover, in his account of the Birds of America, gives 

 an anecdote of a Scarlet Grosbeak belonging to an old woman in Washington city, which 



CARDINAL CiROSBEAK.— Cai-dindh's Virginidnus. 



