Birds of Pennsylvania. 183 



mainly attributed to the fact that the fish had beei\eviscerated before 

 having been thrown away, hence these incised parts were more ac- 

 cessible to mandibular action than other and unbroken parts of the 

 scaly anatomy. Certainly, there is no obvious reason why the ab- 

 dominal and neighboring pectoral portions of a " perch " should be 

 more palatable to the sprightly " White-eyed Jackdaw," as the native 

 Florid ians are accustomed to term the species. 



Family FRINGILLID.ffi. Finches, Sparrows, Etc. 

 Genus CARPODACUS. Kaup. 

 517. Carpodacus purpureas (Gmel.). 



Purple Finch : Crimson Finch. 



{Plate SO. Figs. 1 and £.) 



Young very similar to female adult, but duller, some individuals slightly red. 

 Hab. — Eastern North America, from the Atlantic coast to the Plains. Breeds from 

 the Middle States northward. 



The Crimson Finch, so-called from the crimson-colored dress of the 

 adult male, is about as large as the common English Sparrow. This 

 species, although said to breed occasionally in Pennsylvania, does 

 not, according to my observations, occur in eastern Pennsylvania dur- 

 ing the summer months. I have found these birds to be much more 

 numerous in the spring than during the autumn and winter. They 

 are found chiefly in forests, though it is not unusual to see them about 

 houses, which they sometimes visit in company with other species of 

 Sparrows. These birds are mostly observed in flocks ; in winter, 

 however, it is not uncommon to find them singly or in pairs. In the 

 spring I have noticed that their brown and cone-shaped bills are 

 usually covered with particles of buds or other succulent vegetable 

 substances, on which they mainly subsist at this season ; the feathers 

 of the forehead and throat are also more or less discolored by the 

 juices of their plant food. The food of the Crimson Finch is made up 

 chiefly of vegetable materials, particularly the buds and blossoms of 

 diff'erent forest, fruit and shade trees. Various kinds of small seeds, 

 as well as berries and some few insects are also eaten. I have ex- 

 amined the stomach contents of twenty -one Purple Finches captured 

 in Chester county. Pa., in the latter part of March, during April and 

 from May 1 to 15. Sixteen of these birds had fed exclusively on buds 

 and blossoms ; three, small seeds ; two, beetles and flies in addition 

 to vegetable matter. In this locality the buds of the beech and 

 maple trees constitute a very large proportion of their diet. Wilson 

 writing of this species says : '" This is a winter bird of passage, coming 

 to us in large flocks from the north in September and October ; great 



