COMMON BIRDS OF SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. 13 
gardens, so that it comes but little into contact with the products of husbandry, and 
does not prey upon them extensively when it does. The useful insects that it eats 
are amply paid for by its destruction of noxious ones. — f. e. l. b. 
CARDINAL. 1 
Vivacity, beauty, and vocal expertness are three outstanding traits of the cardinal, 
or redbird (fig. 6). Whether the eye is held by the vivid color that suggested the 
bird’s name, or by the 
active, graceful move¬ 
ments, the raising and 
lowering of the crest, 
which Avhen fully erect 
gives the bird an appear¬ 
ance of such keen atten¬ 
tion, or whether the ear 
is charmed by the rich 
and varied song, the im¬ 
pression produced is one 
of extreme pleasure. 
Though somewhat shy, 
the cardinal does not en¬ 
tirely avoid the vicinity 
of homes. However, it 
prefers more secluded re¬ 
sorts. Shrubbery is its 
chosen haunt, the more 
tangled the better. Here 
the nest is built and the 
young reared, and here 
they spend most of their 
days. Higher trees are 
usually sought only under 
the inspiration of song. 
Viewed from the eco¬ 
nomic standpoint the car¬ 
dinal deserves favorable 
comment, as it does for 
its other high qualities. 
Its food is composed of 
about 29 per cent animal 
matter and 71 per cent 
vegetable. Among the 
insects eaten are a few 
that are beneficial, but at 
most not more than 2 per 
cent of the cardinal’s B2I46-5G 
food, probably less, con- Fig. 6.—Cardinal. Length, about 8i inches, 
sists of useful insects, 
while twelve times as much is made up of injurious species. Caterpillars are greatly 
relished, and among those discovered in the food were three pests of the cotton crop, 
namely, the cotton w r orm, the bollworm, and the cotton cutworm. Ninety-six of the 
last-named species were eaten by 31 cardinals from Texas cotton fields. Other 
caterpillar pests eaten are the purslane sphinx, zebra caterpillar, and codling moth. 
i Cardinalis cardinalis. 
