Bird Notes from Itasca County 117 



vicinity of the cabin on Lake Miunewanka, where an entire family 

 — parents and two young — were constantly attracted to a cherry 

 tree (Primus pennsylvanica) . Here they were easily watched, and 

 proved to be not the least timid. Their feeding habits deserve 

 note: the ripe cherries were picked and the flesh removed from 

 the seed by one bite and a little squeezing, and discarded. The 

 seed was then cracked nearly in half — considerable pressure must 

 have been required, for the " pop " could be heard a distance of 

 one hundred feet — and the heart of the seed removed and eaten, 

 the outer shell being discarded. The birds visited the same tree 

 day tafter day, and had the ground fairly littered with the flesh 

 and pit-hulls of the fruit. 



73. Purple Finch — Carpodaciis purpiireus pin'pnreus (Gmel.) 

 Seen only once, on August 5, when three individuals were lo- 

 cated along the road. Possibly a breeding species within the 

 county, but doubtful. More common as a migrant, particularly in 

 the fall and early winter. 



74. Goldfinch — AstragaUniis tristis tristis (Linn.) 



Common as a summer resident and breeding species. Begins 

 nesting during the third week of July, when the birds were seen 

 gathering nesting material. Young recently out of the nest were 

 seen on August 16. 



75. English Sparrow — Passer domesticus (Linn.) 



Inevitable. Found, however, only in the vicinity of home- 

 steads and towns, and never seen in the woods. 



76. Vesper Sparrow — Pooecetes graminens gramineus (Gmel.) 



A very close second to the kingbird for the position of domi- 

 nant bird of the clearings. Seen in great numbers along every 

 roadside, where there is a clearing. A breeding species, with 

 young out of the nest at least during the third week of July. 



77. White-throated Sparrow — Zonotrichia alMcollis (Gmel.) 

 This sparrow is, together with the above species, a close sec- 



and to the kingbird ft>r the position of dominant species in the 

 burned-over area, and is the dominant bird of the underbrush. 

 Seen and heard constantly in the above situations. A female and 

 two young were seen on July 22. 



78. Tree Sparrow — Spizella monticola monticola (Gmel.) 



A single specimen of this species was seen, a male. The bird 

 was sitting along the roadside, in full song, on July 22. Very 

 likely more common than data indicate, and possibly a breeding 

 species. 



