THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK, Sl\ 



Melody of its song Characteristics. 



brown; she is so close a sitter that she may 

 sometimes be taken on her nest. The male, 

 which is very attentive to' his mate, takes his 

 turn, 



THE CARDINAL GROSBEJK. 



THIS species is nearly eight inches in length. 

 The bill is stout, and of a pale red colour. On 

 the head is a pointed crest: the plumage is in 

 general of a fine red, but round the bill and 

 throat it is black. The legs are of the same COT 

 lour as the bill. 



The cardinal grosbeak is an inhabitant of se- 

 veral parts of North America ; and from the me- 

 lody of its song, which is said somewhat to re- 

 semble that of the nightingale, some of the Ame- 

 ricans give it the same name. In spring, and 

 during great part of the summer, it sits on the 

 tops of the highest trees, and with its loud and 

 piercing notes makes the forests echo. The 

 inhabitants frequently keep them in cages; where 

 they will sing, -with a very short interval of 

 silence, throughout the whole year. 



These birds are remarkable for laying up dur- 

 ing the summer their winter provisions of maize 

 and buck-wheat. Nearly a bushel of maize has 

 been found in the retreat of one of these birds, 

 artfully covered with leaves and smajl branches 



