EASTERN PURPLE FINCH 271 



Mrs. Amelia R. Laskey (MS.), of Nashville, Tenn., has seen purple 

 finches feeding on the berries of a privet hedge and perched on a twig, 

 nibbling at hackberries. 



Purple finches are very fond of the seed balls of the sycamore and 

 the sweet gum in the south, and farther north they feed on sumac 

 berries and the buds of the balsam fir, in addition to the items men- 

 tioned above. Their well-known habit of feeding on the buds and 

 blossoms of fruit trees is discussed under their economic status, below. 



Economic status. — When we see the purple finches flocking into our 

 orchards in the spring and a shower of blossoms falling to the ground, 

 we are apt to condemn them as detrimental to the interests of the 

 orchardist. But here is what Edward H. Forbush (1913) has to say 

 in its defense: 



This Finch appears at first sight to be destructive, for it devours buds and the 

 blossoms of apple, cherry, peach, and plum trees, feeding on the stamens and 

 pistils. * * * They feed also upon the blossoms of the red maple, the seeds of 

 such trees as the white ash, and the berries of the red cedar, mountain ash, and 

 other trees. But, as with the Grosbeak, the pruning or cutting of buds, blossoms, 

 and seeds of trees is not ordinarily excessive. On the other hand, this bird eats 

 many of the seeds of the most destructive weeds, ragweed being a favorite. The 

 Purple Finch also destroys many orchard and woodland caterpillars. It is 

 particularly destructive to plant lice and cankerworms. Its quest of weed seeds 

 is sometimes rewarded by some insects which it finds on the ground, among them 

 ground beetles and perhaps a few cutworms. 



In further exoneration of the purple finch as a bud and blossom 

 eater, M. J. Magee (1926a) published two photogi-aphs of one of his 

 apple trees, one showing the tree in full blossom and the other showing 

 it so heavily laden with apples that the branches had to be supported. 

 Eleven bushels of apples were taken from that tree, better apples 

 than ever and "hardly a wormy one in the lot. I doubt if their budding 

 does any harm, certainly not to apples in any event." More purple 

 finches were in his trees that year than ever before. 



Another exonerator, Horace Groskin (1938), who raises seckel pears 

 in Pennsylvania, writes: "I have found, during the past three years, 

 that the pruning the birds give the tree is decidedly beneficial. In the 

 fall of each year when the birds were present in the spring, I have noted 

 a very marked improvement in the amount of fruit on the tree, and 

 last year, we not only had the largest number of pears on this tree we 

 ever had before, but a great many of the pears were double the size 

 of the normal seckel pear, and the flavor seemed to be decidedly 

 improved. Let us be fair to the Purple Finch." 



Behavior. — Purple finches are more or less gregarious at times, 

 especially in winter; they are sociable and friendly at such times, 

 except when feeding causes rivalry. Then they become selfish and 

 belligerent. When several of them are eating at a feeding station 



