PURPLE FINCH. 53 



Genus. ROSY FINCHES. C arpodacus. 



Bill, thick, somewhat swollen at base. Wings, pointed lon- 

 ger than the rather deeply forked tail. Head sub-crested. Size 

 medium. Adult males are dull crimson lake, but the females 

 are grayish. There are no prominent white markings on tail. 



Purple Finch. 



Carpodacus purpureus. 

 Plate XII, Fig. 2. 



Size, about six inches long. Form, robust. Adult male, 

 crimson lake, brighter on crown, streaked on the back with dus- 

 ky ; under wing and tail coverts and abdomen, white. Wing 

 and tail brown, with the feathers edged with crimson lake. 



Adult female, greenish brown above, streaked with dusky, 

 and there is an indication of awdiitish stripe over the eye. 

 White beneath, streaked and spotted everywhere with brown. 

 When caged, males become yellow. Young, of both sexes re- 

 semble the female, but are tinged with greenish above, and 

 yellow below. Nestlings are similar, but are rather more fine- 

 ly streaked and overwashed everywhere with reddish yellow. 



Dimensions. Length, 5.59 ; stretch, 8.G5 ; wing, 4.32 ; 

 tail, 2.20 ; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .57. 



Comparisons. Readily known in the adult male plumage 

 by the small size, short, thick bill, and crimson lake color. 

 Females may be known by the size and bill, as given, and by 

 the whitish stripes over the eye, long wings and forked tail, 

 for no other of this family has these proportions and size. 



Nests and Eggs. Nests usually placed in evergreen trees, 

 composed of small twigs and fine roots neatly woven together 

 into a shallow cup-like structure which is lined with horse 



