Finches. 167 



bird on account of its tameness and agreeable song, 

 The same treatment is required as for the Crossbills. 



The VIRGINIAN NIGHTINGALE) Cardinalis Vir* 

 ginalis) is also called the Cardinal Grosbeak, Red Bird, 

 Red Cardinal, etc. 



This would appear to be the most beautiful specimen 

 of the group of Cardinals, chiefly, if not wholly, con- 

 fined to America. It is about eight inches long, of 

 which the tail measures two. The back is dark red, 

 the whole of the rest of the body is of a bright scarlet, 

 excepting some short feathers round the beak and 

 throat, which are black ; the bill and feet are red too ; 

 the quill-feathers and tail are paler and browner. 

 The crest upon the head is pointed, and can be raised 

 and lowered at pleasure. The female is smaller and 

 less handsome, with a browner back, grey chin and 

 forehead, and pale brown with a shade of red in the 

 lower part of the body. Both birds sing, the female 

 almost as well as the male, whose voice is very fine and 

 loud. He sings all the year round except v/hile 

 moulting, and some of the notes have a little resem- 

 blance to those of the English Nightingale ; but the 

 song is more monotonous, louder, and less sweet. This 

 bird is said to be very tender-hearted, and kind in 

 feeding young birds even of a different species, when 

 placed in the same cage with it. One belonging to an 

 old woman at Washington earned for his mistress a 

 large sum of money, by rearing a number of young 



