61 

 uncommon. Practically all of my friends have noted it as a 

 frequent breeding :bird, thruout the state 1 , but especially 

 in the mountainous counties of the Alleghanian fauna. 



533. Spinus pinus pinus (Wils.). Pine Siskin. 



Perhaps the most noteworthy discovery within the 

 state of Pennsylvania during 1912 was that of the nest and 

 eggs of this species taken in Warren County by Mr. R. B. 

 Simpson. Previous to this discovery, the Pine Siskin had 

 been reported to breed in Lycoming and Sullivan Counties, 

 rarely, but no positive evidence had ever been obtained. 

 Concerning this species, Mr. Simpson writes me as follows, 

 "The Pine Finch is an irregular winter visitor in this 

 region, departing by April 3. Several times I have seen 

 small parties of them back in the mountains in summer, and 

 several years ago in April saw a Siskin gathering nesting 

 material. This year, the Siskins were abundant, and in 

 early April they were still common near town wherever there 

 were patches of evergreen in cemeteries, groves, or wood- 

 land. The first nest was found dn April 14 in a White Pine, 

 twenty-five feet up and ten feet out on a horizontal limb. 

 This was later deserted. April 16, I found a nest just 

 started, twenty-five feet up and three feet out on % small 

 horizontal limb. The female did all the work, the male 

 often aecompaning her to and fro, constantly calling. 



