98 CANARIES AND CAGE-BIRDS. 



THE NONPAREIL. 



THE Nonpareil, or Painted Bunting, is a gayly plumed little bird, and. as his first 

 name indicates, unequalled. Indeed, it would be difficult to find such a blending of 

 beautiful colors in any other songster. His shining coat of red, blue, and gold, as 

 it glitters in the sunlight, each color seemingly more beautiful than the others, calls 

 forth admiration from the most careless observer. The Nonpareils breed in our 

 .Southern States, and in the summer season they are caught in large numbers. 

 Louisiana is a favorite haunt with them, where they are great favorites with the 

 French inhabitants, who, true to their native instincts, admire any thing which is 

 gayly dressed. This bird is not by any means the lowest in the list of song-birds ; 

 for his melodious warble, given in a low, concise manner, adds much to his other 

 attractive qualities. He is very easily domesticated, and. after a few days' confine- 

 ment, appears reconciled to his new mode of life. Pairs are very easily mated, and 

 require no more care than the mating of a pair of Canaries. If the same attention 

 and interest were taken in breeding this class of birds as are taken in breeding 

 Canaries, they would, no doubt, become much more popular than at present : what- 

 ever inferiority they have in song is more than made up by the richness and beauty 

 of plumage. 



It is a pleasing operation to watch the numerous changes which the feathers 

 undergo before the birds attain their full colors. The Nonpareils arrive in the 

 Southern States from the warmer latitudes about the latter part of April, and raise 

 two broods in the breeding season, which lasts until July 1. The young birds of 

 both sexes, during the first season, are a fine olive-green color on the upper parts, 

 and pale yellow below. The female undergoes no material change in color after- 

 ward, except becoming a darker shade as she grows older. The male birds, on 

 the contrary, are three seasons in obtaining their full variety of colors. In the 

 second season the blue on the head begins to show, intermixed with the olive green : 

 the red also begins to make its appearance in spots which dot -the breast. The third 

 season the bird attains his full beauty, and blossoms forth in his beautifully inter- 

 mingled colors, blue, green, and scarlet. When in full color the head and neck are 

 violet, the upper part of the back bright green, the lower part of the back and the 

 rest of the body a bright red : the tail is brownish red. From the above descrip- 

 tion it may be seen, that, until the second season, it is next to impossible to tell the 

 male from the female ; and, no doubt, many an unsuspecting buyer has been aston- 

 ished and delighted at finding the bird which he bought for a female Nonpareil 

 bloom out in any thing but feminine-bird colors the following season. The ease 

 with which the Nonpareil is trapped makes his stock very numerous in the bird- 

 market in the season, which lasts in the Northern States from May until September. 



