the outside, with an inside diameter and depth not exceeding two inches," and composed 



entirely of dried inner bark, grasses, pliant twigs, with a few rootlets for lining. The 



eggs had been sat upon a few days. In shape they somewhat resemble those of the 



Virginia Cardinal, but are more round, and are irregularly covered with spots in various 



shades of brown and lavender, which at the larger end are massed together, sometimes 



forming a band, but more frequently covering the entire end." 



NAMES: Texan Cardinal, Cactus Cardinal. 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Cardinalis sinuatus Bonap. (1837). PYRRHULOXIA SINUATA Bonap. (1850). 



DESCRIPTION: Head with an elongated, pointed crest, springing from the crown. Upper parts generally 

 pale ashy-brown; hood, sides of neck, and under-parts of body, rather paler. Long crest-feathers, bill 

 all round including lores and encircling eye, wing, and tail, dark crimson. Chin and upper part of 

 throat, breast, and median line of the belly, under tail-coverts, tibia, edge and inner coverts of the 

 wings, bright carmine-red. Bill, yellowish.— Length about 8.50 inches; wing, 3.75; tail, 4.50 inches. 



Female similar, with the underpart brownish-yellow; middle of belly and throat only tinged 

 with red. 



ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 



Habia ludoviciana Stejneger. 



Plate XXV. Fig. 2 and 3. 



Prank-hearted hostess of the field and -wood. 



Gipsy, whose roof is every spreading tree, 



June is the pearl of our New England year. 



Still a. surprisal, though expected long, 



Z^er coming startles. Long she lies in -wait. 



Makes many a feint, peeps forth, draws coyly back. 



Then, from some southern ambush in the sky, 



With one great gush of blossom storms the w-orld. 



A week ago the Sparrow -was divine ; 



The Bluebird, shifting his light load of song 



From post to post along the cheerless fence, 



"^as 4s a rhymer ere the poet came ; 



But now, O rapture! sunshine winged and voiced. 



Pipe blown through by the warm, -wild breath of the West, 



Shepherding his soft droves of fleecy cloud. 



Gladness of woods, skies, waters, all in one. 



The Bobolink has come, and, like the soul 



Of the s-weet season vocal in a bird, 



Gurgles in ecstacy -we kno-w- not -what 



Save June! Dear June! Now God be praised for June! 



Lowell. 



FTER an absence of tw^enty years I once more enjoyed the opportunity of rambling 

 j^3l about in the haunts of my boyhood as of yore. This was in June, the real 

 spring month in the northern parts of our country. In all my wanderings in the Eastern 

 and Gulf States, through the mountains of the southern AUeghanies and over the flower- 

 adorned prairies of Texas and the Indian Territory I have rarely found a spot more 



