THE PURPLE FINCH. 137 



feathers of the back and the wing coverts, deep dusky, edged 

 with crimson; wing and tail-feathers, dusky-black, edged 

 with light-brown. The female, strongly resembled by the 

 male for the first two years or more, is nearly the color of 

 a Song Sparrow. From early spring till late summer this 

 is one of our most delightful songsters. Lifting itself up 

 to full length with elevated crest, its voluble rich tones — 

 strongly resembling those of the Warbling Vireo, only 

 more rapid and spirited — fairly gurgle in its throat to the 

 very end of the lengthy strain. In the sunny days of the 

 mating season it has quite a variety of short, spirited notes, 

 such as pick-wee., wee-ree^ wee-ree-ee. Then, too, it launches 

 into the air, and with crown-feathers erect, tail partially 

 thrown up, and a vibrating of wings rather than real flight, 

 gives its finest melody. 



With much demonstration does the male win his plain 

 mate. Never shall I forget how I once saw him perform on 

 a fence-rail between me and the setting sun. Straightening 

 up to full length in front of his spouse, his wings vibrating 

 almost like those of a Humming-bird, his crimson crest all 

 aflame in the slanting rays of rosy light, he poured forth 

 his sweetest warble. 



The following note from Mr. Eugene Ringueberg, of 

 Lockport, is in place here: ''While out in a grove of ever- 

 greens near the house this morning (April 30th), I saw two 

 male Purple Finches chasing a female in and out among 

 the trees. She flew around for three or four minutes, only 

 alighting once in a while to rest, closely pursued by the 

 males, singing as hard as they could nearly all the time. 

 At length, however, she lit on the branch of a beech-tree, 

 and then one of her suitors perched on a branch within a 

 foot of her on one side, and the other at about the same 

 distance on the other side. Immediately a contest of song 



