When once acclimatised, Virginians are hardy enough,

and will stand all weathers with perfect impunity, except fog;

but I have always found newly-come-over specimens exceedingly

delicate. Indeed, I should be ashamed to say how many I have

lost in acclimatising my present pair. But then, it doesn’t do to

speak of losses !


I see that people often complain that they cannot keep

their Cardinals in colour. I fancy that the reason is ‘wrong

feeding.’ Hempseed is usually recommended, and if used freely

I believe it will turn any bird nearly black. I know it will Bull¬

finches—a ‘black’ Bullfinch is simply a bird that has been fed

on hemp. My Cardinals never have hemp ; they have canary,

millet and live food ad libitum : and the cock is the most

glorious colour you ever saw T ; a perfect blaze of scarlet.


When newly imported, Virginians are usually badly

knocked about, and deficient in wings and tail. I always pull

out all the broken stumps, and cage the birds until the new

feathers are come. This takes about six weeks.


My birds are out of doors all the year round in a big

garden aviary, among all sorts and conditions of birds ; and

though there are nests and young all round them, the Cardinals

maintain the path of virtue ; in fact they are the most inoffensive

"birds I know of.


Last 3^ear I came pretty near to success ; but just as the

nest was finished, the hen got a tumour on her breast and I had

to kill her. I soon got a new hen, but the season had gone by.


This year the Cardinals began pretty early with nesting

operations. The cock came into song about March, and soon

after the hen began to carry about sticks and straws, but seemed

unable to find a place to her mind, and went and laid three eggs

on the bare ground. These are very small for the size of the

bird, and exactty like the egg of the common House Sparrow.

I was rather sickened over this, and thought I was to have no

luck ; the more so as having the choice of two nests in the garden

to put them in—a Chaffinch’s and a Robin’s—I selected the

Robin’s, as I thought it most hidden, and of course I chose the

wrong one ; for the next day some young calves in the field got

nosing about, and put their heads into the nest (if was in a

hole in a stump) and smashed all the eggs. That was finish

No. i.


About ten days later, the hen laid two more eggs and again

on the bare ground, and as I could not find a nest to put them in

I gave them to one of my children. Finish No. 2.



