530 GRANIVOROUS BIRDS. 



Sp. Charact. — Crimson, deepest on the head and throat; wings 

 and emarginate tail, dusky, the back spotted with the same ; belly- 

 partly white. — Female and young varied with pale brown and 

 dusky, without crimson ; beneath yellowish-white, spotted with 

 dusky brown. 



Tins brilliant and cheerful songster inhabits the North- 

 ern and Western States during the summer, where it 

 pairs and rears its young. They have been observed also 

 in Missouri territory by Mr. Say, and probably extend their 

 residence far to the North. They appear to have a great 

 predilection for resinous evergreens, pine and spruce, 

 and feed upon the berries of the juniper and red cedar,* 

 as well as the seeds of the tulip-tree, t and others; they 

 likewise frequent gardens for the same purpose, and are 

 particularly pleased with sun-flower seeds and other oily 

 kinds. When reduced to necessity, they are observed to 

 eat the buds of the beech, and those of the fruit trees, 

 probably for the sake of the stamens contained in* them, 

 of which they are greedy when displayed in the opening 

 blossoms. The stipules of the expanding buds of the elm, 

 which are sweet and mucilaginous, in the spring, also 

 make a common part of their fare. Their food, in sum- 

 mer, however, consists principally of insects, and juicy 

 berries, as those of the honeysuckle and others. 



Although the Purple Finch breeds and passes the sea- 

 son in this vicinity, yet as early as the close of Septem- 

 ber they leave us for the South ; about which time, and 

 nearly to the close of October, small, hungry, roving 

 flocks arrive from the more Northern States, and Can- 

 ada, or Newfoundland. At the same time likewise great 

 numbers visit Pennsylvania, the maritime parts of New 

 York and New Jersey, and many pass the winter in the 

 Middle States ; while others proceed as far south as the 

 states of Louisiana and Florida, returning north in the 



* Junipcrus virginiana. t Lyriodendron tulipij'era. 



