ftarabfse Circle 



most brilliantly beautiful, the golden- 

 winged woodpecker coming close up as 

 third in the list. But conspicuous as the 

 grosbeak is, a large majority of casual 

 observers do not really know him when 

 they see him. A red bird they bear in 

 mind in a general way, not distinguishing 

 the cardinal grosbeak from the summer 

 tanager, or, for that matter, from any 

 other of the red-dashed Tanagridcs, to 

 which the grosbeaks are not at all closely 

 related. There is a striking resemblance 

 in mere form between the cardinal and the 

 blue jay. Each has a short, somewhat 

 stoutish body, a long tail, a tall crest, and 

 a short, stout bill. But the cardinal gros- 

 beak shows a less cruel disposition toward 

 other feathered beings, and seems to be in 

 every way a more lovable bird. 



In making studies which have extended 

 over a large area, I have found very little 

 change of habit in this grosbeak on account 

 of differences of locality and climate. 

 There is a slight variation in color when 

 the bird is resident in the far Southwest, 

 the red becoming brighter and purer, with 

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