FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 463 



parallels is a rather common bird in suitable localities. A few are occasion- 

 ally found during the winter in Massachusetts, but usually they all pass far- 

 tiier south. In the State of South Carolina they are especially abundant 

 throughout the winter, or i'rom October until April. 



Dr. Coues states that the Purple Finch is a very abundant winter resident 

 near Washington, arriving early in October and remaining until May, being 

 eminently gregarious. Stragglers were seen until nearly June, but the major- 

 ity had departed as the leaves expanded. They were most common in high 

 open woods, and were observed to feed chiefly on tender young buds of trees. 

 They were in full song before they took their departure. 



They make their first appearance in regular migrations, in Massachusetts, 

 from the 10th to the 20th of May, and occasionally a few are seen earlier. 

 They are often unwelcome visitors to the fruit-growers, having a great fond- 

 ness for the blossoms of the peach, cherry, plum, and apple. They will also 

 feed upon other kinds of buds and blossoms. They have a great predilec- 

 tion for evergreen trees, especially the fir, the spruce, and the red cedar, 

 and most generally bvuld their nests in these trees. In summer they feed on 

 seeds, insects, and berries of the honeysuckle and other shrubs. 



The Purple Finch, or, as it is generally known in New England, the Linnet, 

 is one of our sweetest, best, and most constant songsters, and is often trapped 

 and sold as caged birds. Tliey soon become accustomed and partially recon- 

 ciled to their confinement, but sing only during a small part of the year. 

 When one of these birds, confined in a cage, is hung outside the house, 

 in the country, he is sure to draw around him quite a number of his species, 

 and this furnishes the dealer a ready means of capturing them. 



This Finch was once regarded as quite rare in the vicinity of Boston, so 

 much so that during a four years' residence in Cambridge, when collections 

 of nests and eggs had many votaries, not a single nest of this species was 

 obtained by any one. Since then, from some cause, i)robably the increase of 

 gardens, groves of e\'ergreens, and other localities favorable for their preserva- 

 tion and reproduction, these graceful little Finches have become quite abun- 

 dant in places propitious for their residence. No "less than seven pairs of 

 these favorite songsters took up their abode in my grounds at Hingham in a 

 single summer, and two had nests in the same tree, one of which was at least 

 sixty feet from the ground, on the very top of a tall fir. These several pairs, 

 as a general thing, lived together very harmoniously, save only when one 

 would approach too near the favorite station of another, when the latter 

 would begin to bristle up liis crest, and give very evident hints that his near 

 presence was not agreeable. The extreme southern end of the ridge-pole of 

 the house had been, for several summers, the favorite post for the patriarch 

 of the flock, from which at morning and at evening he made the neighbor- 

 hood vocal with his melody. If in his absence any other of these birds 

 ventured to occupy his position, there was always sure to be a disturbance on 

 his return, if it M'as not instantly vacated. These encounters were frequent. 



