CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 147 



museum, the stuffed skin of one of these birds, which is there 

 said to have lived in a cage upward of twenty-one years. 



The opinion which so generally prevails in England, that the 

 music of the groves and woods of America is far inferior to that 

 of Europe, I, who have a thousand times listened to both, can- 

 not admit to be correct. We cannot with fairness draw a com- 

 parison between the depth of the forest in America, and the 

 cultivated fields of England; because it is a well known fact, that 

 singing birds seldom frequent the former, in any country. But 

 let the latter places be compared with the like situations in the 

 United States, and the superiority of song, I am fully persua- 

 ded, would justly belong to the western continent. The few of 

 our song birds that have visited Europe extort admiration from 

 the best judges. " The notes of the Cardinal Grosbeak," says 

 Latham, " are almost equal to those of the Nightingale." Yet 

 these notes, clear, and excellent as they are, are far inferior to 

 those of the Wood Thrush; and even to those of the Brown 

 Thrush or Thrasher. Our inimitable Mocking-bird is also ac- 

 knowledged, by themselves, to be fully equal to the song of the 

 Nightingale " in its whole compass." Yet these are not one- 

 tenth of the number of our singing birds., Could these people be 

 transported to the borders of our woods and settlements, in the 

 month of May, about half an hour before sunrise, such a ravish- 

 ing concert would greet their ear as they have no conception of. 



The males of the Cardinal Grosbeak, when confined together 

 in a cage, fight violently. On placing a looking-glass before the 

 cage, the gesticulations of the tenant are truly laughable; yet 

 with this he soon becomes so well acquainted, that, in a short 

 time, he takes no notice whatever of it; a pretty good proof 

 that he has discovered the true cause of the appearance to pro- 

 ceed from himself. They are hardy birds, easily kept, sing six 

 or eight months in the year, and are most lively in wet weather. 

 They are generally known by the names, Red-bird, Virginia 

 Red-bird, Virginia Nightingale, and Crested Red-bird, to dis- 

 tinguish them from another beautiful species which is represen- 

 ted on the same plate. 



