308 PERCHERS AND SINGERS 



birds finds life far from full. But if you put a wild song-bird 

 in a cage barely large enough for a canary, the bird is wretched, 

 it dies soon and the keeping of it is a sin against Nature. 

 Excepting canaries and a very few other species, if you cannot 

 keep birds (and mammals, also) in big cages, do not keep them 

 at all! The way thousands of song-birds are caught in some 

 portions of the South, to sell as cage birds, is a sin and a 

 shame. At this date New Orleans in particular has before 

 her an imperative duty in breaking up this business. Chil- 

 dren everywhere should be taught that it is almost impossible 

 for any one save an expert bird-man to take young song-birds 

 and rear them successfully. Young insectivorous birds require 

 specially compounded bird-food, and it must be given to them 

 every hour, with small forceps — a very tedious operation. 



In the kindness of their little hearts, children often take 

 young song-birds from the nest, cage them, and try to feed 

 them on what some little folks like best — cake and cream! 

 They might as well give them poison! For any one ignorant 

 of the precise methods necessary in rearing insectivorous 

 birds to take such birds from their parents is cruelty and 

 destruction! 



The sight of a wild Cardinal always compels attention. 

 The bird is not only beautiful in color, but it is aristocratic 

 in form and manner. It comes up from the South into New 

 York state, and the Ohio River region, and extends westward 

 to the edge of the plains region. 



The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak 1 is, in all respects save 

 one, a very beautiful bird. It has a big, clumsy -looking, con- 



1 Zam-e-lo'di-a lu-do-vi-ci-an'a. Length, 8 inches. 



