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 



