FINCHES. 



179 



accounted for solely by a difference of taste, since both species 

 inhabit much the same regions. Certainly Nature has created 

 much for the sake of pleasing man by variety alone. 



d. The Pine Grosbeaks have a characteristic single note, 

 a loud, clear, but somewhat plaintive whistle, which is often 

 repeated several times, and also a few subdued whistles, not 

 audible at any great distance, I here quote briefly from my 

 Journal. " March 13, 1875. This morning I arose at 5.15, 

 and went out at 5.40, when Crows were beginning to fly over. 

 At 5.55 a Red-poll, who was among some pines, awoke and 

 gave his call, which was answered by two or three of his com- 

 panions, who were near him, likewise in pines. . . . He 

 finally woke up a solitary Pine Grosbeak, who uttered his 

 call-note several times, and remained in the neiahborhood 

 until 6.15, when he perched on the top of a pine, and sang for 

 several minutes. His song was sweet and very much like that 

 of the Purple Finch, but was now and then interrupted by 

 his ordinary cries." 



III. CARPODACUS. 



A. PURPUREUS. Purple Finch. " Linnet.^' In New 

 England, a common resident in summer, but only occasional 

 in winter.* 



a. About six inches long. 

 Crown-feathers erectile. (J i 

 carmine, of very different shades 

 and intensities in different spe- 

 cimens. Back, dusky streaked ; 

 belly, almost white. Edgings 

 of the wings, reddish. 5 -> ^^i" 

 vaceous brown, and streaked, 

 except on the belly, which, as 



Fig. 8. Purple Fincli. {\) 



* A common summer resident, breed- 

 ing nearly everywhere, but most nu- 

 merously in the coniferous forests of 

 northern New England. A few birds 

 usually remain through the entire win- 

 ter in southern New England, and oc- 

 casionally they occur at this season in 



extraordinary numbers throughout our 

 entire territory. These fluctuations 

 are apparently governed solely by the 

 winter food supply, and are in no wise 

 dependent on conditions of tempera- 

 ture or snowfall. — W. B. 



