BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 



249 



Blackbirds. He shot an adult male and female and a young male. One of these 

 is in the collection of Mr. J. E. Thayer, the other two, through the kindness of 

 Mr. Thayer, are now in the collection of the Boston Society of Natural History. 



2°7 [515] Pinicola enucleator leucura (Miill.). 

 Pine Grosbeak. 



Irregular and at times abundant \vinter visitor ; October 27 to March. 



I have found records of the occurrence of the Pine Grosbeak in Essex 

 County for the following years: 1855, 1866-67, 1868-69, 1874, 1876, 1887, 

 1890, 1892-93, and 1903-4. Mr. Brewsteri has described the great flight of 

 1892-93, when the birds were found in Esse.x County chiefly during November 

 and December. 



In 1903, the Pine Grosbeaks arrived earlier than ever before. On Octo- 

 ber 27th, Mr. S. M. Noyes observed them at Georgetown; on October 31st my 

 brother, Mr. W. S. Townsend, saw two at Middleton, one of which was in the 

 full red plumage. The earliest date at which this bird had hitherto been noted 

 in Massachusetts is, according to Howe and Allen, November 4th. It is prob- 

 able that they stayed to the middle or end of March in 1904, as was noted else- 

 where, but the latest date I have for the County in this year is February i8th. 



Besides their interesting call notes, of which they have several, one may 

 sometimes hear their song. On January 24th, 1904, I heard a full-plumaged 

 male deliver a delightfully sweet and continuous warbling song from the top of 

 a larch on Castle Hill, Ipswich. 



208 [517] Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.). 

 Purple Finch. 



Permanent resident, common in summer, rare in winter ; April i to Octo- 

 ber 20 ; winter. 



Eggs: June 8 to June 19. 



Although most of the brown plumaged birds of this species in song are 

 immature males, it is a fact that the female occasionally sings. Many years ago 



' Wm. Brewster : Auk, vol. 12, p. 245, 1895. 



