3l6 CONNECTICUT GEOL, AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



proportion of the number consumed. And it is not unlikely that 

 many of those thus voided uninjured are afterwards taken a 

 second time. Most of the dung consisted of the pulverized re- 

 mains of seeds, among which the most conspicuous were small 

 fragments of the akenes of ragweed." ( Judd, " The Relation of 

 Sparrows to Agriculture.") 



We shall make no attempt to discuss the food of all the 34 

 members of this family that occur more or less regularly in our 

 state, as the space required would be too great and nearly the 

 same feeding habits characterize all, but confine ourselves to some 

 of the more important or noticeable species. 



The Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator leucura) occasionally 

 visits us in flocks in winter. They " travel in small flocks, which 

 spend much of their time in coniferous forests, feeding upon buds 

 of pine and spruce; they also eat the buds and seeds of white 

 ash, basswood, alder, birch, apple, pear, and poplar, as well as 

 the berries of the red cedar and the high-bush cranberry. In 

 winter they often subsist largely upon the pulp and seeds of 

 frozen apples. In some instances they have been known to injure 

 fruit orchards by feeding upon the buds, but this is a rare 

 occurrence. Professor Aughey found that five Nebraska speci- 

 mens taken during winter had eaten, along with various seeds, 

 a large number of eggs of the Rocky Mountain locust." (Weed 

 and Dearborn, " Birds in their Relation to Man.") 



The Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus purpureus) has 

 been seen, " ' feeding on the seeds of the poplar, buttonwood, 

 juniper, cedar, and on those of many rank weeds that flourish 

 in rich bottoms and along the margins of creeks. When the 

 rainy 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 

 they feed almost exclusively upon the stamens of the flowers; 

 afterwards the apple blossoms are attacked in the same manner; 

 and their depredations on these continue until they disappear, 

 which is usually about the tenth or middle of May.' Many later 

 observers have seen the Purple Finch eating the tender por- 

 tions, although little real damage seems to be done by it; and 

 as a partial offset it is also known to devour aphides and various 



