CHAPTER II. 



THE CARDINAL FAMILY 



( Cardinalities). 



The Red-crested Cardinal The Pope, or Crestless 

 Cardinal The Yellow-billed Cardinal The Black- 

 crested Cardinal The Cardinal Grossbeak, or 

 Virginian Nightingale. 



N this group I propose to include five 

 species which are of frequent occurrence 

 as cage-birds in this country : they are 

 all natives of Brazil or the adjacent 

 countries of Southern America, and can be readily 

 acclimatised so as to pass the winter without 

 injury to their constitutions in a garden aviary, where 

 not infrequently they will be found to nest and rear 

 their young. 



The proper diet for these birds in confinement is 

 canary- and millet-seed, grain-food of all kinds, 

 ants' eggs, insects of every description, especially 

 caterpillars, and all kinds of ripe fruit when in 

 season : they appear to be especially fond of 

 raspberries and strawberries. Hemp-seed should never 

 be allowed, as it darkens the plumage and changes 



