PURPLE FINCH LINNEY. 
= 
bird is throughout eastern North America ; its food con- 
sists mostly of seeds and berries, but there are unques- 
tionably frequent depredations committed among the 
blossoms of the fruit trees. 
As asinger the Purple Finch has no equal when we ex- 
clusively consider his method. He is a warbler with 
an incomparably sweet warble. Ina measure his song 
is like that of the Warbling Vireo, but it is far beyond 
anything which that bird ever attempted. The Vireo’s 
warble is stereotyped, that of the Finch is untrammelled 
and characteristically variable. The Vireo’s warble is 
scarcely sweet, it is rather lively and cheerful, although 
it produces the impression that the bird has rolled it 
around in the mouth likea sugarplum ; but the quality 
of tone lacks the fulness, the richness, of the Finch’s tone. 
There is a ripeness, or mellowness to the voice of the 
Finch which I attribute entirely to the superior size of 
his throat and bill. As a consequence, this larger bird 
has a stronger and deeper voice, he sings quite half an 
octave lower than the Vireo, with the advantage that he 
can put more expression in the lower register, and he does 
so, for his song is singularly sentimental, indeed, its pas- 
sionate persuasiveness is truly loverlike and irresistible.* 
Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell calls the song ‘‘ a sweet-toned, 
carelessly flowing warble,” and adds to this a rather 
poetic estimate of it ; but for purposes of identification, 
such a description of music is manifestly inadequate. 
A song which bursts forth under ‘‘ stress of gladness” 
can be illustrated at the piano in a hundred different 
ways. Neither is it possible to adequately demonstrate 
the song by aseries of dots which will represent the notes ; 
this is the only way it would be possible to print such dots : 
ee es ea 
and they certainly do not carry with them very much 
meaning! Itis better for a more perfect comprehension 
* I consider this lower register of the Linnet’s or Purple Finch’s 
voice the key to his popularity as a singer, for he is often caged 
The register of the Canary is too high for expression, 
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