374 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



(Knight). Washington; abundant, breeds, (Boardman); abundant summer, 

 a few in winter, (Clark). York; common migrant, may breed, (Adams). 



Though resident locally throughout the State, the species 

 occurs in greatest numbers from late spring to fall and is more 

 properly a summer resident of most sections of Maine, being 

 found more generally from April through October. The female 

 utters a few short muffled call notes, while the male in addition 

 is a sweet voiced warbler, especially in spring and early summer 

 at which seasons he may be found perched on some prominent 

 tree top keeping up an incessant, pleasing, warbling song, at 

 times uttered with swelling breast as if he were about to burst 

 from sheer inability to express the feelings welling forth from 

 within. The general lay of the song is Pine-Grosbeak-like in 

 character, but distinctly inferior to the Grosbeak's song. 



Except in the nesting season the Purple Finch leads a roving 

 life, appearing here and there with sweeping flight as if they 

 were care-free, often solitary, again in twos or threes, uttering 

 their short call note which is quite characteristic. During the 

 nesting season they are more settled for a time, remaining in 

 various localities in gardens and orchards, wooded pastures 

 and along streams, some being very sociable and others pre- 

 ferring the wilderness. 



The nests are generally placed in evergreen trees, at various 

 heights from ten to forty feet from the ground, usually 

 near Bangor nesting in the top of a small pasture spruce 

 or fir tree at about twelve to fifteen feet elevation, the 

 nest being well concealed in the thick top. A nest found at 

 Hermon, June 4, 1905, is typical, being placed in the top of 

 a small fir tree in a dense bunch near the top, about twelve 

 feet from the ground in a pasture. This nest was built on a 

 foundation of numerous small spruce and fir twigs, lined with 

 fine roots, lichens and horsehair. Its height outside was three 

 inches, the depth inside one and a quarter, the external 

 diameter six and the internal diameter two and a quarter inches. 

 The female left the nest when the tree was hit a light blow, 



