Cardinals Through the Year 291 



During all this season the male brought food for the young more faithfully 

 than his mate, hunting back and forth in the pasture grass, bringing chiefly 

 worms. They left the nest June 13. 



They were sturdy youngsters, with their pert topknots giving them a 

 saucy look. The illustrations of the young in Mrs. Porter's 'Song of the 

 Cardinal' are excellent. They cling well to branches, and none has ever 

 been lost in a storm or by a prowling enemy. 



When the young were a month old they got about on the ground and 

 learned to bathe and to hunt for food, but not successfully until they were 

 about six weeks of age. They helped themselves to bread and milk in the 

 chicken-pan, and, at seven weeks, one managed to eat a big locust. 



At the age of four weeks the males showed a decided addition of coloring, 

 and at ten weeks the dark beak showed color at the base. They were noisy 

 youngsters, the three often coming to the table by the window, all clamoring 

 at once until satisfied. 



After the young had been out of the nest three or four days they flew well. 

 The old birds would call them together at dusk and lead the way into a close- 

 headed maple across the street, where with much 'talk' they would settle for 

 the night. 



On June 24 the pair were again 'talking' of nesting, and built in the porch 

 vines. 



The male cared for the first brood, not forgetting his brooding mate, but 

 with the second brood to care for, the first became a nuisance. When they 

 could not be driven away, the male would resort to strategy. When followed 

 to the nest, he rarely gave up the worm. He would sometimes fly a short dis- 

 tance, wait for the young to follow, then take a long sweep over the trees, 

 returning later, alone. 



As the season advanced, his song was no less joyous but much less frequent, 

 except when his mate was building. The search for food continued with never 

 a day, nor hour, of rest. 



July 25, without spending much time helping with this second brood, or 

 much prehminary 'talk,' the mother bird built again in the trumpet-vine. 



August 6 there was trouble with some Jays, and broken eggs were on the 

 ground. Another nest in a nearby rosebush was abandoned soon after. 



August 14 she went over into the adjoining pasture and built in the lower 

 limb of a small locust. When the male would call in distress, we knew what 

 it meant. She seemed to understand, and sat perfectly still on her nest, allow- 

 ing us to come very close to 'shoo' either a Jay or Blackbird away. Some- 

 times the male, fretting on a nearby tree, when danger was past would give a 

 long, happy whistle before he returned to his 'bug'-hunting. 



The first brood rarely came about, and were driven away at once when 

 they appeared. The second set, now a month old, were noisy and hungry, the 

 days hot and dry. Life was not all song for the Cardinals. 



