3 8 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



to be saluted with the rich, rolling song of the rose-breasted male; and, as 

 we penetrate into the deeper recesses, pressing through the stubborn luxuriance 

 of vegetation into the little shady glades that the bird loves so well, we may 

 catch a glimpse of the shy and retiring female darting into concealment, dis- 

 turbed by our approach. She is almost sure to be followed the next moment 

 by her ardent spouse, solicitous for her safety, and bent on reassuring her by his 



BED CARDINAL AND ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK ( nat. size). 



presence and caresses. Sometimes during this month, as we enter a grove of saplings, 

 and glance carefully overhead, we may see the nest placed but a few feet from the 

 ground in the fork of a limb. The female, alarmed, will flutter away stealthily, 

 and we may not catch another glimpse of her nor of her mate, even though we 

 hear them both anxiously consulting together at a little distance. The nest is not 

 such an elegant affair as might be desired ; it is in fact bulky and rude, if not 

 actually slovenly. It is formed entirely of the long, slender tortuous stems of 

 woody climbers and similar stout rootlets ; the base and outer walls being very 



