24 Kopman, Birds of Louisiana. ban. 



chiefly in the neighborhood of habitation, especially in groves of live oaks, 

 and water oaks. Nesting begins early in April. The birds recorded by 

 Dr. F. W. Langdon as Q. purpureus in the Journal of the Cincinnati 

 Society of Natural History, Vol. IV, 1881, which were breeding at Baton 

 Rouge were apparently referable to this form. 



218. Bronzed Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula arneus). Never occurs, as 

 far as I have been able to determine, in the section where the Florida 

 Grackle is found. It is a fairly common breeder in the interior and north- 

 ern portions of the State. I found it breeding commonly in Madison 

 parish in 1896. Its numbers doubtless increase in winter. 



219. Boat-tailed Grackle (Megaquiscalus major major). A strictly 

 coastal species in Louisiana as far as I have observed. I doubt whether it 

 ever occurs more than fifty miles inland. In summer it is confined to the 

 marshes and very wet swamp lands. In the fall considerable numbers- 

 move on to the drained and cultivated lands. As with the Florida 

 Grackle, nesting begins in the early part of April. In Audubon Park, 

 New Orleans, a curious relationship between the movements of these two 

 species is noted at this time. The numbers of the Florida Grackles 

 increase in the park, numerous individuals arriving from the swamps to 

 nest in the oaks of the park, while the Boat-tailed Grackles, which are 

 present in large numbers on the meadowy stretches of the park throughout 

 the winter, move off to their nesting sites in the marshes south of the city. 



220. Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus purpureus) . Fairly com- 

 mon winter visitor except in the southern portion of the State, where it 

 has been found only in severe winters. Numbers were seen at several 

 points in the suburbs of New Orleans and in the woods near the city after 

 Jan. 1, 1895. The last were seen March 23. In 1897, the first arrived at 

 Ariel Amite County, Miss.; on Nov. 13. In 1901, the first arrived at Bay 

 St. Louis, Miss., on Dec. 4, and the species became common Dec. 16. 



221. American Goldfinch (Astragalinus tristis tristis). Common 

 winter visitor in all sections of the State. Doubtless breeds sparingly 

 in the northern counties, as it certainly does in corresponding latitude 

 in Mississippi. Its movements southward in fall, however, are rather 

 late. Some records of fall arrival follow: Ellisville, Miss., Nov. 6, 1906; 

 Ariel, Miss., Nov. 10, 1897; Covington, La., Nov. 12, 1899; New Orleans, 

 Nov. 19, 1898. In September, 1907, I noted Goldfinches about Jackson, 

 Miss., and in August I had seen them very little further north. 



The latest date for spring departure at New Orleans is April 11, 1894 

 and 1896. At Bay St. Louis, Miss., the latest date of departure is April 23, 

 1902. 



222. Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus). A rather irregular and usually 

 rather uncommon winter visitor, seldom reaching the fertile alluvial region 

 of southeastern Louisiana. The earliest date of arrival of which I have any 

 record is Nov. 29, 1908, at Woodville, Miss., and the latest date of depar- 

 ture is April 19, 1902, at Bay St. Louis, Miss. 



223. Vesper Sparrow {Po&cetes gramineus gramineus). A common 



