Ill 



formed numbers of these birds, assisted by some of the sparrows I have mentioned, 

 the Purple Finch and Indigo Finches, may be seen flitting from head to head eagerly 

 feeding upon it, and so preventing a greater spread than we have of this troublesome 

 plant. By the end of July and on through August the Canada and other thistles 

 are forming and ripening their seeds. The little Goldfinches fairly revel in these. 

 Their sharp beaks are adapted for probing the involucre of the plants and extracting 

 the seed, from which they first cut off the plume, and then devour the seed. 



This class of weeds is one of the worst pests we have to contend with, and is 

 very difficult to get out of the land where it has established itself. As it is we are 

 overourdened with it, and without its natural enemies to assist us in keeping it down 

 we should find the contest much more difficult to carry on. 



FINCHES. 



Description. 



PUEPLE FINCH. 



Adult male. Entire body crimson, brightest on the head, upper tail coverts and 

 breast; streaked and washed with brown on the back; white on the belly; wings and 

 tail dusky; the outer webs of the feathers finely edged with red. 



Adult female. Upper parts grayish brown, finely streaked with black; wings 

 and tail dark grayish brown; under parts white heavily streaked with brown; a 

 whitish line over the eye. 



L., 6.00; W., 3.25*; T., 2.30. 



Nest, in low coniferous trees. Eggs, four or five, blue, spotted and scrawled 

 at the larger end with purplish brown. 



INDIGO FINCH. 



Adult male. Rich blue, darkest on the head and throat; lores, blackish; wings 

 and tail black, the quills margined with blue. 



Adult female. Upper parts uniform cinnamon brown without streaks, wings 

 and tail dusky, the quills usually slightly margined with blue; under parts whitish 

 brown, indistinctly streaked, belly whiter. 



L., 5.50; W., 2.55; T., 2.10. 



Nest, in a low bush. Eggs, three or four, pale bluish white. 



SCAELET TANAGEE. 



Adult male. Bright scarlet, wings and tail black. 



Adult female. Upper parts clear olive green; below clear greenish yellow. 

 L., 7.25; W., 3.75; T., 2.10. 



Nest, on the horizontal limb of a tree. Eggs, three or four, pale bluish white, 

 speckled with reddish brown and lilac. 



