THE CARDINAL BIRD. 
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variety of their notes, which, both in a wild and domestic 
state, are very various and musical : many of them resemble 
the high notes of a fife, and are nearly as loud. They are 
in song from March to September, beginning at the first 
appearance of dawn, and repeating a favourite stanza, or 
passage, twenty or thirty times successively; sometimes, 
with little intermission, for a whole morning together, 
which, like a good story too often repeated, becomes at length 
tiresome and insipid. But the sprightly figure and gaudy 
plumage of the Bed-Bird, his vivacity, strength of voice, and 
actual variety of note, and the little expense with which 
he is kept, will always make him a favourite. 
The Cardinal Bird is eight inches long, and eleven 
in extent. The whole upper parts are a dusky red, except 
the sides of the neck and the head, which, as well as 
all the lower parts, are bright vermilion, and chin and front 
black. The head is ornamented with a pointed crest, which 
may be raised or lowered at pleasure. The beak is red, 
thick and strong. The female is smaller, but nearly as 
brilliant in plumage, and sings nearly as well as the male. 
ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. 
The opinion which so generally prevails in England (says 
Wilson) 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 correct. We 
cannot with fairness draw a comparison between tho depth 
