A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 2 of 3Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Science
A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 2 of 3
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Birds -- North America
The carmine of the breast is somewhat hidden by grayish tips to the
feathers; that of the throat is streaked a little with darker. The
exposed surfaces of the wing-coverts and of secondaries and tertials
are like the back. The tail-feathers are tipped with brownish.
Specimens from Cape St. Lucas are very much smaller than any others,
measuring only, wing, 3.30; tail, 3.80. The crest is dull carmine,
instead of dark wine-purple; the red tinge on wing and tail much
fainter, and the sides, as well as the gray tints everywhere, more
brownish; there is none of that dark burnt-carmine tint to the red of
lores and cheeks observable in all the Texas specimens. No. 49,758,
Camp Grant, Arizona, is like the Cape St. Lucas birds in colors,
except that the crest is dusky, but the proportions are those of the
Rio Grande series.
HABITS. The Texan Cardinal was originally described as a bird of
Mexico by Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte in the Proceedings of the
Zoölogical Society of London. It has since been ascertained to inhabit
the southern central portions of our country, its range of extension
northerly bringing it within the limits of the United States. In
Texas, on the Rio Grande, it is resident throughout the year, or of
but limited migration in the coldest weather. It was not observed by
Dr. Coues in Arizona, but is said to occur in the southern portion of
that Territory. It was found breeding at Cape St. Lucas by Mr. Xantus.
It is not named by Sumichrast among the birds of Vera Cruz.
Its habits are said to be of the same general character with those of
our common Cardinal.
The specimens from which this bird was first described were procured
in the vicinity of the city of Mexico. The first obtained within the
limits of the United States were observed by Captain McCown of the U.
S. Army, at Ringgold Barracks, in Texas. Since then it has been
procured by several of the naturalists accompanying the government
expeditions. It was obtained in New Leon, Mexico, by Lieutenant Couch;
in Texas, by Major Emory; in Texas and at El Paso, by Lieutenant
Parke.
When first seen, in March, in the State of Tamaulipas, by Lieutenant
Couch, it was in flocks, very shy and difficult of approach. It did
not occur much in open fields, but seemed to prefer the vicinity of
fences and bushes. It was often seen in company with the common
Cardinal.
Dr. Kennerly found this bird quite abundant in the vicinity of El
Paso, but did not observe it elsewhere. It kept generally in flocks of
from three to six, frequenting the hedges and fruit-trees in the
vicinity of houses. It became very restless when approached, flying
from branch to branch and from tree to tree, uttering its peculiar
note with great vehemence.
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