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COMMON BIRDS : SECOND SERIES. 
it a place among our first songsters. The nest is a loose structure 
of bark, twigs, leaves, and grass, hidden securely in a thicket. 
The eggs are three to five, of a dull color, spotted with reddish 
brown. The Cardinal, like most resident birds, has a wide 
range of food, living at different seasons on fruit, berries, and 
insects. At no season is the bird harmful to gardeners. Its 
bright color, musical notes, and lively disposition make it every¬ 
where a favorite. 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 17. 
[ZAMELODIA LUDOVICIANA. ] 
A student of birds feels amply rewarded for long search by a 
sight of the beautiful rose-colored spot on the breast of the Gros¬ 
beak. The black head and the white spots on the wing, tail, and 
rump give the bird an equally fine appearance when flying, but the 
most brilliant performance one can enjoy is the sight of a male, 
fluttering with outspread wings, displaying the salmon tints far 
under each wing. The female lacks the bright colors of her mate, 
but may be recognized by her streaked breast and the size of her 
beak. The song of the Grosbeak is remarkably good ; it has been 
described as a “glorified Robin’s.” It is faster and sweeter than 
the Robin’s, and is often repeated for many minutes from the same 
perch. Both sexes have a sharp click, like that of a pair of shears. 
1 ’he nest is rudely constructed of loose twigs, and placed in a 
bush or low tree. Three or four eggs are laid, of a greenish blue, 
thickly marked with dull reddish. The Grosbeak’s bill of fare 
comprises buds, seeds, fruit, and insects. Among the latter are 
included the potato-beetle, an insect for which no other bird has 
shown a liking. The Grosbeak comes in that joyous week of May 
which ushers in orioles, bobolinks, tanagers, and thrushes, but 
in both melody and beauty it holds its own with its comrades. 
An occasional Grosbeak is seen through September, but before the 
end of that month nearly all have begun the journey to the tropics, 
