CARDINAL FINCH 47 



spotted with black ; sometimes bluish-brown spots 

 are mingled with the black* 



Two other species of Spermophila S, palustris 

 and S. melanocephala are found in Argentina, 



CARDINAL FINCH 



Paroaria cucullata 



Above light grey ; wings and tail dark grey ; head, crest, and 

 throat brilliant scarlet, the scarlet extending downward to the chest ; 

 beneath pure white ; length 8 inches. 



THIS well-known species is perhaps the finest Finch 

 the Argentines have. The entire upper plumage is 

 clear grey, the under surface pure white ; but its 

 chief glory is its crest, which, with the anterior 

 part of the head and throat, is of the most vivid 

 scarlet. The song has little variety, but is remarkably 

 loud, and has that cheerful ring which most people 

 admire in their caged pets, possibly because it pro- 

 duces the idea in the listener's mind that the songster 

 is glad to be a prisoner. As a cage-bird this Finch 

 enjoys an extraordinary popularity ; and a stranger 

 in Buenos Ayres, seeing the numbers that are exposed 

 for sale by the bird-dealers in the markets of that 

 city, might fancy that a Cardinal in a cage is con- 

 sidered a necessary part of the menage of every house 

 in the country. This large supply of caged birds 

 comes from South Brazil, Paraguay, and the north- 

 eastern part of the Argentine country, where the 



