Cardinals in Northeastern Iowa 463 



with English sparrows! A true aristocrat at the table of a 

 plebeian. 



A year or so passed and no further sight of a cardinal. 

 Then we began to see them occasionally. Soon they were 

 more in evidence, and now (1915), they are comparatively 

 common. I have them every winter feeding at my table ; and 

 at least twenty other people in town have them as well. They 

 are not the same ones, for once, when we had a pair here, we 

 telephoned to a friend at the other end of the town, who had 

 a bird table, too, to see if she happened at that moment to 

 have any. She reported three. 



Like robins, cardinals prefer to build near houses. One 

 built in an arbor this spring and right in the path leading to 

 the house, where many were coming and going. 



One of our bird lovers reported the following delightfiil 

 experience this spring: She was chmbing one of the nearby 

 wooded bluffs, and came upon a cardinal family. The old 

 birds were instructing the fledglings. It was not quite clear 

 what the male was at that moment trying to teach ; but prob- 

 ably it was a lesson in voice culture. All were on the ground, 

 while the teacher was whistling a low sweet melody. His 

 head was lowered to the ground, and all the little ones were 

 imitating this pose. 



Cardinals winter well in this locality and come out in the 

 spring in good condition. They sleep mostly within close 

 branches of evergreen trees. Corn is their favorite food, 

 though they will eat almost anything that other birds will. 

 They can crack a kernel of corn as easily as a squirrel does 

 a nut. 



,We hope the cardinal grosbeaks have come to stay ; and 

 mean to do everything in our power to make them know how 

 welcome they are. 



We have a great many birds here both winter and sum- 

 mer. Conditions are favorable. We have the grand old 

 Mississippi River and its tributaries to furnish water; we 

 have the surrounding tree-covere4 bluffs. Then we have a 

 people here who appreciate the worth of birds, giving them 

 food, shelter and protection. 



