THE PURPLE FINCH. 169 



important to distribute regularly to singing birds the simple allowance of 

 fresh food which is intended for the day. By this means they will sing 

 every day equally, because they will eat uniformly, and not pick the best 

 one day and be obliged to put up with the refuse the next. 



About two spoonfuls of the dry food mentioned above, is sufficient for the 

 daily nourishment of a canary ; what he leaves may be thrown to the birds 

 which are free in the room, and will serve as a variety to those which have 

 only the universal paste to satisfy their appetite. 



THE GLOSSY FINCH. 



Fringilla nitens, LINNJEUS ; Le Moineau du Brdsil, BUFFON ; Der glanzende 

 Fink, BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird is smaller than the house sparrow, being only 

 four inches and a half long. The beak and feet are flesh- 

 coloured ; the iris is white. All the plumage is of a bluish 

 black, or black with a hue of burnished steel ; the female has 

 the upper part of the body covered with blackish feathers, 

 bordered with a yellowish brown ; the rump gray, the under 

 part of the body dark yellowish brown ; the tail-feathers black 

 with gray edges ; the feet reddish ; in some males the beak and 

 feet are black. 



OBSERVATIONS. This bird is found in the woods of Cayenne, and the 

 neighbourhood of Carthagena in America. Its clear note is very agreeable. 

 It appears to sing with so much energy as to ruffle the feathers of the 

 head and neck. Its food consists of all kinds of seeds and fruits. Though 

 bread appears to be sufficient when caged, it is better to add rape, millet, 

 and poppy seed. It is easily tamed. 



THE PURPLE FINCH. 



Fringilla purpurea, LINNAEUS ; Bouvreuil violet de la Caroline, BUFFON ; Der 

 Purpurflnk, BECHSTEIN, 



THE size of this bird is that of the common chaffinch, the 

 length being five inches and a half; the plumage is of a deep 

 violet, or reddish purple, mixed with a little dark brown ; the 

 quill-feathers are brown on the inside ; the belly is white ; the 

 tail is rather forked. 



