8 Favourite Foreign Birds. 



This species would appear to be more delicate 

 than either of the preceding, and to be more insec- 

 tivorous in their habits. Some I at one time possessed 

 appeared to suffer so much from the cold of their 

 first winter in this country to which their hardier 

 companions seemed perfectly indifferent that I was 

 forced to take them indoors. They made a nest, but 

 did not lay ; so I have no personal knowledge of their 

 eggs, which are said, however, to closely resemble 

 those of their congeners. 



I found them quiet and uninterfering with other 

 birds, and the song of the male was very pretty ; so 

 that, on the whole, I can cordially recommend them to 

 the notice of amateurs. 



THE BLACK-CRESTED CARDINAL, Gubernatrix crista- 

 tella, is very generally known, especially by dealers, 

 as the Green Cardinal, though upon close examina- 

 tion it will be found that it bears no trace of green 

 in its plumage, which is coloured black and yellow; 

 the crest is large, jet black, and very upright, and 

 the bird itself about the size of a thrush, but owing 

 to its crest, and longer wings and tail, it seems larger. 



Like the rest of the Cardinals, this bird comes 

 from South America, and is quite hardy. At the 

 Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park it has bred on 

 several occasions, and also in the aviaries of several 

 amateurs, but not in mine. The female is readily 

 distinguished by her duller-coloured plumage, as well 

 as by the size of her crest, which is not nearly as 

 conspicuous as that of her mate. 



At the " Zoo/' this bird is separated from the 

 rest of the family and placed in a genus by itself 



