THE PURPLE FINCH. 287 
to .88 by .60 inch. Two broods are often reared in the 
season. 
This species is one of the few injurious birds that we have ; 
and, although it has a beautiful warbling song, and is alto- 
gether a fine-looking bird, it is much disliked in the country 
in consequence of its bad habit of cutting off and eating 
the buds and blossoms of fruit-trees. Wilson says of this 
habit, — 
“This is a winter bird of passage, coming to us in large flocks 
from the North, in September and October ; great numbers remain- 
ing with us in Pennsylvania during the whole winter, feeding on 
the seeds of the poplar, button-wood, juniper, cedar, and on those 
of many rank weeds that flourish in rich bottoms and along the 
margin of creeks. When the season is very severe, they proceed 
to the South, as far at least as Georgia, returning North early in 
April. They now frequent the elm-trees, feeding on the slender 
but sweet covering of the flowers; and, as soon as the cherries put 
out their blossoms, feed almost exclusively on the stamina of the 
flowers: afterwards, the apple-blossoms are attacked in the same 
manner; and their depredations on these continue till they disap- 
pear, which is usually about the 10th or middle of May. I have 
been told that they sometimes breed in the northern parts of New 
York, but have never met with their nests. About the middle of 
September, I found these birds numerous on Long Island, and 
around Newark in New Jersey. They fly at a considerable height 
in the air; and their note is a single chink, like that of the Rice- 
bird. They possess great boldness and spirit, and, when caught, 
bite violently, and hang by the bill from your hand, striking with 
great fury; but they are soon reconciled to confinement, and in a 
day or two are quite at home. I have kept a pair of these birds 
upwards of nine months to observe their manners. One was caught 
in a trap, the other was winged with the gun: both are now as 
familiar as if brought up from the nest by the hand, and seem to 
prefer hemp-seed and cherry-blossoms to all other kinds of food. 
Both male and female, though not crested, are almost constantly 
in the habit of erecting the feathers of the crown. ‘They appear to 
be of a tyrannical and domineering disposition: for they nearly 
