66 
THE CARDINAL BIRD 
of the forest in America, and the cultivated fields of Eng- 
land; because it is a well-known fact, that singing birds 
seldom frequent the former in any country. But let 
the latter places be compared with the like situations in 
the United States, and the superiority of song, I am fully 
persuaded, would justly belong to the western continent. 
The few of our song birds that have visited Europe extort 
admiration from the best judges. “The notes of the Car- 
dinal Grosbeak,” says Latham, “ are almost equal to those 
of the nightingale.” Yet these notes, clear and excellent 
as they are, are far inferior to those of the wood thrush, 
and even to those of the brown thrush, or thrasher. Our 
inimitable mocking bird is also acknowledged, by them- 
selves, to be fully equal to the song of the nightingale, “ in 
its whole compass.” Yet these are not one tenth of the 
number of our singing birds. Could these people be trans- 
ported to the borders of our woods and settlements, in the 
month of May, about half an hour before sunrise, such a 
ravishing concert would greet their ear as they have no con- 
ception of. 
The males of the Cardinal Grosbeak, when confined 
together in a cage, fight violently. On placing a looking- 
glass before the cage, the gesticulations of the tenant are 
truly laughable : yet with this he soon becomes so well 
acquainted, that, in a short time, he takes no notice what- 
ever of it; a pretty good proof that he has discovered the 
true cause of the appearance to proceed from himself. They 
