242 THE BIRDS 
post oaks, and cedars; in fact, any suitable location from 
four to nine feet above ground. Two broods are generally 
raised, April 8th to 15th, the former being the earliest 
set of eges found, while second sets come along about 
May 15th to June 1st. The female is not a close sitter, 
leaving the nest on the near approach of danger. There 
is little danger of conflicting the Cardinal with our other 
red-plumaged birds, the Summer Tanager, or Scarlet 
Tanager; for the crest on the head of both male and 
female Cardinal is not found with the other species, 
and their plumage is much more brilliant and of a darker 
shade of red. Their food consists of insects, small grain, 
and a large variety of seeds, while in the fall the dog- 
wood, black-gum, poke berries, and wild grapes form 
a great part of their food. I consider them a beneficial 
bird, as well as one of our most attractive ones. 
GENUS ZAMELODIA. 
[595]. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linneus).  Rose- 
breasted Grosbeak. 
Ranex.—Eastern North America and northern South 
America. Breeds in Lower Canadian and Transition 
zones from south central Mackenzie, northern Manitoba, 
central Ontario, southern Quebec, and Cape Breton 
Island south to central Kansas, central Missouri, central 
Ohio, central New Jersey, and in mountains to northern 
Georgia; winters from southern Yucatan and Mexico to 
Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador; casual in migration 
in Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas; accidental in Ari- 
zona, Colorado, and California. 
