124 CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 
In the months of March and April, the males have many violent 
engagements for their favorite females. Early in May, in Pennsylva- 
nia, they begin to prepare their nest, which is very often fixed in a 
holly, cedar, or laurel bush. Outwardly, it is constructed of small 
twigs, tops of dry weeds, and slips of vine bark, and lined with stalks 
offine grass. The female lays four eggs, thickly marked all over with. 
touches of brownish olive, on a dull white ground, as represented in 
the figure ; and they usually raise two broods in the season. These 
birds are rarely raised from the nest for singing, being so easily taken 
in trap-cages, and soon domesticated. By long confinement, and per- 
haps unnatural food, they are found to fade in color, becoming of a 
pale whitish red. If well taken care of, however, they will live to a 
considerable age. There is at present in Mr. Peale’s museum, the 
stuffed skin of one of these birds, which-is theye said to have lived in 
a cage upwards of twenty-one years. 
The opinion which so generally prevails in England, that the music 
of the groves and woods of America is far inferior to that of Europe, 
I, who have a thousand times listened to both, cannot admit to be cor- 
rect. We cannot with fairness draw a comparison between the depth 
of the forest in America, and the cultivated fields of England; because 
it is a well-known fact, that singing. birds seldom frequent the former 
in any country. But let the latter places be compared with the like 
situations in the United States, and the superiority of song, ] am fully 
persuaded, would justly belong to the western continent. The few of 
our song birds that have visited Europe extort admiration from the 
best judges. “The notes of the Cardinal Grosbeak,” says Latham, 
“are almost equal to those of the Nightingale.” Yet thesé notes, 
clear and excellent as they are, are far inferior to those of the Wood 
Thrush, and even to those of the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher. Our 
inimitable Mocking Bird is also acknowledged, by, themselyes, to be 
fully equal to the song of the Nightingale, “in its whole compass.” 
Yet these are not one tenth of the number of our singing. birds. 
Could these people be transported to the borders of our woods and set- 
tlements, in the month of May, about half an hour béfore sunrise, such 
aera concert would greet their ear as they have no concep- 
tion of. 
The males of the Cardinal Grosbeak, when confined together in a 
cage, fight violently. On placing a looking-glass before the cage, 
the gesticulations of the tenant are truly laughable; yet with this he 
soon becomes so well acquainted, that, in a short time, he takes no 
notice whatever of it; a pretty good proof that he has discovered the 
‘true cause of the appearance to proceed from himself. They are 
hardy birds, easily kept, sing six or eight months in the year, and are 
most lively in wet weather. They are generally known by the names, 
‘Red-Bird, Virginia Red-Bird, Virginia Nightingale, and Crested Red- 
Bird, to distinguish them from another beautiful species, the Scarlet 
Tanager, Figs. 45 and 46. 
Ido not know that any successful attempts have been made to in- 
duce these birds to pair and breed in confinement; but I have no 
doubt of its practicability, by proper management. Some months 
ago, I placed a young, unfledged Cow-Bird, (the Fringilla pecoris of 
Turton,) whose mother, like the Cuckoo of Europe, abandons her 
