Evening star., 1946-02-15
This and That
By Charles r. Trdceuell.
ELLIOTT STREET.


Dear Sir:
II feel that must protest when I
read that female cardinals have no
crests.
I'VE have pair Of redbirds that live
nesting and raising three sets Of young
ones there.
Many times I have watched with
amusement the mother driving other
birds away while her young are feeding,
and when she does this she raises her
crest, which Is just as large as that
Of her mate though she does not es q
rule keep her crest much in evidence,
but wears 1t folded close to her head.
'The crest Of the female redbird Is
rusty reddish brown. In the eight
years that this male has been with us
he has changed wives twice. and both
of them had crests, In fact have never
seen female cardinal without q crest.
Sincerely, A. w. r."
This correspondent is quite right.
Female cardinals do have crests,
though they are not nearly as much
in evidence as the crest Of the male.
To err Is human, 1t has been said,
and when we deprived the female redbird
Of her crest 1t was in moment and q
way Of thinking when we were mentally
picturing her with the crest held fiat
In q storm.
She 50 often carries the crest close
to her head that normal picture Of her
often will not show 1t at all.
Many birds are able to erect the feath-
&a~ - kI%n{~ - a. A.
which is definitely crestlike, but it is
really no crest at all
Some species seldom put up the crest
except when engaged in . fight
The titmouse has q crest, Of course,
but the chickadee wears q cap.
The female cardinal has always been
favorite bird with many partly on
account Of her exquisite coloring, and
partly because Of her treatment by
her mate.
His chasing of her-except in spring
and his way of making her wait while
he eats gives her the sympathy of many
beholders.
She can do something not many
female birds can do, and that is sing
In a good imitation of her brilliant
husband.
The female of this species is a very
hne bird to watch, and this is best done
at close range, so a feeding station
by the window is in order.
In fact, for close inspection there is
nothing as good as this ARRANGEMENT.
1t may be done simply by placing sun
flower seeds on the sill, or by erecting
a small automatic feeding station on a
post foot or two from the window.
A station which Is fixed to the window
sill Is q good device, easily filled and
Kept clean. Since seeds are knocked
out, however, care should be taken to
keep the ground beneath swept up at
least every other day or so.
II house Is made In q sort Of L
formation 1t is sometimes a, good idea
to fix wire about feet high between
the two walls, and suspend the bird
feeding station from the center of the
wire, or at any point where 1t cannot
be jumped to from trees or shrubs.
II the house walls are smooth enough.
squirrels or rats cannot get up them.
The squirrel Is more capable In this
respect than the rat. He Is often able
to negotiate brick walls, and OCCASION
ally clapboards.
AAAO ACA2AdAC (dl uAlaly 6cSu CLOSE HI
hand, is instantly recognized as beauty.
but 1t is curious fact that many OBJ
servers think her rather on the drab
side II they see her at little distance.
Young males more closely resemble
the mother for time than they do the
father.
At least as much attention should be
paid to the female Of this species as to
the male, since she Is wholesome and
beautiful bird. While it must be ad-
mitted that when 1t comes to flash the
male cardinal IS In class by himself.
his mate Is beautiful creature and
well worthy Of being watched closely.
and admired as all beautiful things
Should be.