THE PURPLE FINCH. 285 
in by no means a large wood: and I may observe, that all 
the nests we took were built in small firs, never high from the 
ground, or in deep woods, and generally in conspicuous situa- 
tions. The nest is neither large nor deep, but very com- 
pactly and cleanly built, like basket-work, the outside walling 
of very fine fir branches and thin cranberry fibres tightly 
interlaced, and lined with fine stiff grass and a little hair. 
The eggs vary much, both in size and coloring; but are 
usually of a pale blue-green eround-color, blotched and lined 
with light-purple and dark burnt-umber spots and pricks, 
always thickest towards the large end. Average size, 1 inch 
by .75 inch.” 
The food of the Grosbeak is not, as in the Crossbills, from 
the seed of the fir cones, but the small buds or embryo of the 
young branches which shoot out from the lateral branches 
of the fir; but they can pick out the seeds from the cones, ° 
both of the pine and fir, quite as cleverly as the Crossbills. 
For a very full and interesting description of the habits 
of this species, I will refer the reader to vol. IV. Audubon’s 
Am. Orn. Biog., p. 414. 
CARPODACUS, Kavr. 
Carpodacus, Kaur, “ Entw. Europ. Thierw., 1829.” (Type Loxia erythrina, Pall.) 
Bill short, stout, vaulted; the culmen decurved towards the end; the commis- 
sure nearly straight to the slightly decurved end; a slight development of bristly 
feathers along the sides of the bill, concealing the nostrils; tarsus shorter than the 
middle toe; lateral claws reaching to the base of the middle one; claw of hind toe 
much curved, smaller than the middle one, and rather less than the digital portion; 
wings long and pointed, reaching to the middle of the tail, which is considerably 
shorter than the wing, and moderately forked; colors red, or red and brown. 
CARPODACUS PURPUREUS. — Gray. 
The Purple Finch. 
Fringilla purpurea, Wilson. Am. Orn., I. (1808) 119. Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1831) 
24; V. 200. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Second quill longest; first shorter than third, considerably longer than the fourth ; 
body crimson, palest on the rump and breast, darkest across the middle of back and 
wing coverts, where the feathers have dusky centres; the red extends below continu- 
