146 cassei.l's book of birds. 



but further south three broods are by no means unusual, each consisting of from four to six eggs of a 

 dirty white colour, marked with olive brown. The food of the Cardinal consists of corn, seed, and 

 various berries ; during spring it devours the berries of the sugar-maple in large quantities, and in 

 summer wages continual war against beetles, butterflies, and caterpillars, commiting great depredations 

 in the gardens, attacking the fruit and destroying the bees. American naturalists are loud in their 

 praises of the song of this bird, to which they give the name of "the Virginian Nightingale," asserting 

 that its note sare fully equal to those of its European namesake, both in purity and variety of tone. 

 Audubon describes its song as resembling the sound of a flageolet, commencing in a loud clear key, 

 and gradually sinking until scarcely audible. It is during the breeding season that these notes are 

 heard in their greatest perfection, the little songster appearing to feel the full beauty of its own per- 

 formance, as it inflates its breast, spreads its tail, and opens its wings, turning from right to left as 

 though to attract attention to the wonderful sounds it is producing. Again and again these strains 

 are renewed, the pretty vocalist only pausing from sheer exhaustion, sometimes continuing its song 

 almost without intermission from sunrise to sunset, occasionally accompanied by the less pretentious 

 effort of its mate. European naturalists are by no means so enthusiastic in their notices of this bird, 

 and pronounce its song to be more striking than beautiful. The Cardinal is easily reared in captivity, 

 but it is so quarrelsome as to be dangerous to any companions confined in the same cage. 



THE DOMINICAN FINCH. 



The Dominican Finch {Paroaria dominicana) is the species we shall select as the type of the 

 group Paroaria, or Grey Finches, so called from the leaden colour of a portion of their plumage, the 

 entire back being grey, the sides of the belly white, and the head usually red. This bird is slender in 

 shape, with pointed wings that reach almost to the middle of the rounded tail ; the beak is 

 straight and thick, but slightly hooked at its tip, the edge somewhat compressed, with a slight ridge 

 near the centre ; the legs are powerful and of moderate length. The Dominican Finch is about six 

 and a half inches long and ten and a half inches across ; the wing about three and a half inches 

 long and the tail three inches. The plumage of the nape of the neck, back, wings, and tail is 

 of a dark slate colour ; the lower part of the body white, marked upon the sides of the breast 

 with a greyish shade ; the head, gorge, and fore part of the neck are, with the exception of the black 

 ear-covers, of a deep blood red, the back of the neck being separated from the grey nape by a 

 white band. The upper mandible is of a blackish grey, the lower one of a whitish tint ; the eye is 

 brown, and the legs a brownish flesh colour. There is but little difference between the plumage of 

 the male and female. 



These beautiful birds inhabit the northern part of Brazil, and are found principally about Bahia, 

 Para, and the river Amazon, where, like most of their tribe, they live in pairs, on bushes that border 

 the large forests ; but are by no means numerous. They are very quiet and simple in their habits, 

 and will live for a considerable time in a cage. Their song is short and twittering, and the call- 

 note clear. 



THE TINY FINCH. 



The Tiny Finch, or Little Parson (Gyrviorhyncha, or Sporophila minntd), is a small species, 

 measuring not more than five inches in its entire length. The upper part of the body of the male is 

 black, and the lower portion a rusty red. The back of the female resembles that of her mate, but the 

 breast is reddish brown, and the belly a rusty yellow ; the young are like their mother. 



Like its congeners, this bird is found principally upon the grassy plains of Brazil, where it lives 

 upon various kinds of seeds. It is a smart, pleasing little creature, with an agreeable voice, and on 

 these accounts is much valued by the Brazilians, in spite of the damage it occasionally does to their 



