223 EEPOET OF NEW JEESEY STATE MUSEUM. 



In 1860 and 186-i they were introduced in New York City, and 1869 

 the largest importation of all, one thousand birds were liberated in 

 Philadelphia. Other smaller importations were made at more remote 

 points, but the New Jersey birds undoubtedly spread from the above 

 colonies. 



The subsequent history of the bird and its disastrous effect upon 

 our native species is too well known. ^ 



517 Carpodacus purpureus (Gmelin). 

 Purple Finch. 



Adult male. — Length, 5.50-6.25. Wing, 3.25. General color pinkish-red, 

 more crimson on the head and rump ; streaked above with dusky and feathers 

 edged with gray ; wings and tail, dusky, narrowly edged with pink, two dull 

 pink wing bars ; center of abdomen and crissum, white, a few dusky streaks on 

 the flanks. 



Adult female and young in first winter. — Above, olive-brown, streaked with 

 dusky, with some white edgings ; below, white, tinged with buffy, boldly streaked 

 with dark brown. 



Nest of grass and twigs lined with hair, placed on the horizontal limb of an 

 evergreen ; eggs, four to six, blue, spotted with brown around the larger end, 

 .85 X .65. 



Eegular winter visitant, but most plentiful in migrations. Eare 

 summer resident in the northern counties; has been seen, in summer, 

 at High Knob, Sussex county (Chapman), Plainfield (Miller) and 

 Eidgewood (Hales) .^ Arrives September 25th, departs May 1st. 



Throughout the greater part of the State the Purple Finch is asso- 

 ciated with leafless trees and snow-covered ground, or with early spring 

 and bursting buds, and only in the most northern portion is it a bird 

 of summer. Throughout the winter the Purple Finches associate in 

 flocks, generally only a few of the old males in each, the bulk being 

 females and young in the brown plumage — distinguished from Spar- 

 rows by the great amount of white edgings in the plumage and the 

 lack of buff and rusty tints. 



They feed on seeds among the branches of tlie trees as well as on the 

 ground and in spring are fond of buds. 



The song is a rather prolonged melodious warble. 



^ W. B. Barrows, The English Sparrow in N. A. ; Bull. 1, Div. Econ. Ornith. 

 and Mam., U. S. Dept. Agr., 1889. 

 - O. and O., 1888, p. 56. 



