122 ' '■• neral Notes. 



of red. In the depth of winter they colled around houses, oftentimes in flocks 

 of several hundreds, appearing to be particularly fond of feeding and picking 

 in places around an liou.se where slops have been thrown, and especially where 

 anything salt or briny has been cast ; and they arc so tame as often to be taken. 

 But what is extraordinary, and makes this bird worthy of notice, is, that they 

 lay their eggs and hatch their young in the middle of winter. 



Samuel C. Crafts, Esq., informs me that a person of entire credibility in 

 Craftsbury assured him that in the depth of winter, sometimes in February, he 

 discovers at onetime as many as twelve of their nests on one small shrubby 

 Hacmatac-tree, in which there wen- eggs, and the birds wen- then setting and 

 hatching. As a confirmation of this, he also assures me, that when they have 

 been taken in the dead of winter, and been opened, litters of eggs have been 

 found in the females, and a part of them with shells, in a state of maturity, to 

 be laid. The naturalist will, I think, be inclined to notice this curiosity, not- 

 withstanding the minutia of the thing, and tin- insignificancy of the bird as to 

 size. He may do it, also, perhaps, with more security from sarcasm than if he 

 lived in the vicinity of Peter Pindar. 1 am, sir, yours, &c, 



Thomas Tolman. 



Notes ox the Purple Finch. — It has been a matter of remark that sev- 

 eral of our once rare birds have largely increased in numbers within a few 

 years, and I think in no case is this so apparent as in that of the Purple Finch 

 {Carpodacus purpureas). At the same time its distribution extends 

 a much larger range. It was formerly considered a strictly northern mi- 

 grant, but has recently become resident in Massachusetts, where it breeds 

 quite plentifully in certain sections, and from the following instance would 

 Seem inclined to remain even farther south. Among some notes taken at 

 Bayside, L. I., I find under date of April 21, of this year : " Saw a Purple 

 Finch (male) in full song and plumage and apparently resident." In the 

 early part of June I visited the same locality ami again Baw both male 

 and female. Feeding sure they must have nested there, after diligent 

 search I discovered the nest, located, as usual, some forty feet from the 

 ground, mar the top of a large spruce-tree, and contained only two 

 well advanced in incubation. This was June 15, and I am at a hiss to 

 explain the reason of thrir late domestic- arrangements, except with the 



surmise that their first nest was destroyed, or that they felt out of their 

 latitude, as indeed their actions seemed to indicate. They remained in 

 the vicinity but a short time after, and. I think, did not attempt another 

 nest. The construction of the nest, its situation, and the eggs, except in 

 number, were almost identical with a set procured just previously at Grand 

 Menan. This is, I believe, the most southern point at which the species 

 has been found breeding. — 11. F. PEARSALL, New York City. 



Nesting or the Black-throated Bunting (Euspiza americand) 



in M \>- \i husk i is. — On page 15, Vol. III. of the Bulletin, .Mr. Purdie 



records the finding of two nests of this Bunting in Medford, Mass., in 



1877, one containing eggs and the other young, and on page L90 



