Harris — Birds of the Kansas City Region. 305 



or intensity of the coloration can be detected. A comparison 

 of the females with Ridgway's description of the female cani- 

 caudus type leads to the conclusion that the local bird is true 

 C. c. cardinalis, or is at least much closer to it than to C. c. 

 canicaudus. Mr. Dix Teachenor states that his study of the 

 material in the Kansas University Museum leads him to be- 

 lieve that the Gray-tailed Cardinal does not range so far north 

 as Douglas County, Kansas, or Jackson County, Missouri, and 

 that he unhesitatingly referred the specimens in his collection, 

 taken in the Lawrence neighborhood, to the eastern form. 



The Cardinal is common throughout the county and is resi- 

 dent during the entire year. It nests freely in the suburbs of 

 the city and is abundant in the parks and cemeteries. Its 

 three or four eggs are laid in May and more than one brood is 

 raised. The nest is a loose, bulky structure placed in low trees, 

 bushes, briar tangles or thick vines. 



The Redbird is silent only during the time of moulting, after 

 the last brood of young are out of the nest. Great numbers 

 pass the severe periods of winter in the shelter of Swope Park, 

 in the upper Blue Valley, along the bluffs and in the timbered 

 bottoms. 



Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

 Oommon migrant; not uncommon summer resident. 



The first Eose-breasts arrive between April 19th (earliest) 

 and 29th and are common during early May when the bulk of 

 the migrants are present. After the middle of the month only 

 the breeding birds remain. The autumn migration is notice- 

 able in middle and late September. There are no October re- 

 cords for this vicinity. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are to be found in all parts of the 

 county in wooded tracts and even breed sparingly within the 

 city. 



GuiBACA CAJEKULBA CABEULEA (Linn.). Bluc Grosbeak. 

 Recent and very rare summer resident. 



Prior to the summer of 1918 there were but three known in- 

 stances of the occurrence of the Blue Grosbeak in this vicinity, 

 and these records were not entirely satisfactory. On July 13, 

 1918, a nest containing young was found in a peach orchard 

 on the farm of Mrs. M. J. Morrin, just east of Swope Park. 



