FOUR RED BIRDS. 121 



the case of crows, which often scratch out the less- 

 carefnlly concealed stores of food laid up by the white- 

 footed mouse. The summer red bird, when here at all, 

 does not remain late enough in the season to profit bj 

 the accumulations of food laid up for winter use by 

 squirrels and mice ; and, indeed, very rarely would such 

 stores be accessible to them ; but I have known a cardi- 

 nal grosbeak to nest near a hollow hickory, and feast, 

 the summer through, on the insect larvae that were so 

 abundant among the shells of the nuts stored by the 

 squirrels during the previous autumn. In the hollow 

 of this hickory-tree — a great cavern freely exposed to 

 the weather — there was always an accumulation of nut- 

 shells, left by the squirrels, and an abundance of fat 

 white grubs was a feature of the heap at all times. 

 This rendered life free of care, so far as food-getting 

 was concerned, and a careless observer, never seeing the 

 squirrels, might suppose the bird had gathered the nuts 

 for the sake of the insect-food always found with them. 

 Perhaps, after all, Du Pratz was simply mistaken. A 

 little learning is a dangerous thing. 



Surely there is little to be said of the scarlet tanager. 

 Every one knows the bird, and believes he knows all 

 about it. Although we admit this, mention must at 

 least be made of it as one of the four red birds ; for such 

 it is, although its black wings and tail make it less so 

 than are the others ; but, nevertheless, it is quite as con- 

 spicuous. The brilliancy of the plumage exceeds that 

 of the others, and it rather delights than otherwise to 

 sport in the bright sunshine. \i>', 



6 



