540 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JJEC. 



It is composed of fine {grasses, forming a bed 

 about two inches thick, and lined with the feath- 

 ers of birds. The eggs are deposited early in Ju- 

 ly, which are four or five in number, "large, graj'- 

 ish and covered Avith numerous pale blue and 

 brown spots." Like the Sky Lark of Europe, the 

 Shore Lark sings as it mounts in the air, and is 

 said to be quite musical, and its call note is mel- 

 low and pleasing. 



This beautiful species measures about seven 

 inches in length, and about twelve in alar extent. 

 Above, pinkish brown, streaked on the back with 

 black ; a fan-shaped spot of black on the breast, 

 and spot of blac^ beneath the eye ; sides streaked 

 with pale reddish brown ; belly and vent, white ; 

 tail forked, black, the exterior feathers marked 

 with white. Two erectable tufts of feathers on 

 the head hence its name of Horned Lark. 



The extensive family Fringillidcr, as common- 

 ly established by naturalists, contains those birds 

 known as Finches, Sparrows, Buntings, Linnets, 

 Grosbeaks, Szc, &c., and embraces many familiar 

 and well-known species. Following Prof. Baird's 

 arrangement in this family, we have the sub-fam- 

 ilies Coccothranstince, Spizellince, Passerellincc, 

 and Spizince. The sub-family Coccothranstince 

 embraces the Bullfinches, Purple Finches, Gold- 

 finches, Linnets and Snoio Buntings, the most of 

 which are more or less brightly colored species, 

 and are generally quite boreal in their habitat, mi- 

 grating southward only in the severity of winter. 



The Pine Grosbeak, or Pine Bullfinch of 

 some writers, {Pinicola Canadensis, Cabanis,) in- 

 habits the Arctic regions of America, and descends 

 into the United States only in severe winters, and 

 is consequently a casual and irregular visitant in 

 New England, though sometimes found as far 

 south as Philadelphia. The present, or a very 

 closely allied species, (P. enucleator,) inhabits the 

 extreme northern region of the eastern continent, 

 migrating southward in winter ; in all countries it 

 is considered rare. 



In March, of 18(50, a considerable party of these 

 Bullfinches visited Springfield, spending a week 

 or ten days in the vicinity, feeding unsuspiciously 

 in yards where the houses were standing thickly ; 

 many specimens were taken by collectors, includ- 

 ing two pairs taken alive by my friend. Dr. HoRS- 

 FORD, who is quite a practical ornithologist, and 

 ever alert for rare specimens. They very readily 

 became reconciled to confinement, and as the 

 warm weather advanced the mellow warble of the 

 males was often continued through the greater 

 part of the night. The last one was living until 

 quite recently, if not still alive in New York, where 

 it was highly prized as a song bird. The follow- 

 ing interesting note from the doctor to myself, re- 

 lates an incident that occurred nearly a year after 

 their capture : 



"As I was sitting by the window to-day," he 

 says, "contemplating the mild and inoff'ensive 

 habits of my Arctic Bullfinches, and the delight 

 they expressed when I placed a mass of snow and 

 ice in their cage, they suddenly and with a scream, 

 dashed from side to side against the cage, every 

 crest erect, and every beak open. On looking up 

 I was surprised to see a Northern Shrike or Butch- 

 er Bird clinging to the sash near my head, which 

 he instantly left for a tree near by. The Shrike, 

 from the neighboring trees, had discovered his bo- 

 real neighbors, and making a dash at them, had 



brought up against the window, while the Bull- 

 finches, not yet having forgotten their old and 

 mortal enemy, the Shrike, were thrown into a 

 state of terror and desperation. For full ten min- 

 utes they remained in the attitude of defence, the 

 feathers of the crest and neck erect, and the beaks 

 open, expecting the return of the Shrike. After- 

 wards, by way of experiment, a stuffed bird of 

 their own species being brought to the cage was 

 greeted with a friendly note of recognition, while 

 a stuffed Shrike v/as met with a scream of terror." 



The Pine Bullfinch, says Richardson, leads a 

 quiet, retired life in the gloomiest recesses of the 

 pine forests of the higher latitudes, feeding upon 

 the seeds of the pine and spruce, and the buds of 

 northern trees and shrubs. Their nest is said to 

 be placed in their favorite evergreens, at no great 

 height from the ground, composed of twigs exter- 

 nally, and lined with feathers. The eggs, four or 

 five in number, are Avhite. 



Length, about nine inches; extent, fourteen- 

 Adult male tinged Avith reddish orange, quite 

 bright on the head, neck and rump ; feathers of 

 the back centred with black ; two bands of Avhite 

 on the Avings ; tail forked. Individuals vary in 

 color according to sex and age. After moulting 

 in confinement they lose their brilliant colors, like 

 the Purple Finch. 



Of the four species of Purple Finch, (genus 

 Caiyodacus,) said to inhabit the United States, 

 we find but one in New England, the remaining 

 three being more Avestern in their habitat. 



The common Purple Finch, {Carpodacus pur- 

 piireus. Gray,) is well known here as a cage bird, 

 and highly prized for its excellent poAvers of song. 

 It is widely distributed over the continent, many 

 going to the northAvard in summer to breed, spend- 

 ing the winter generally in the Southern States. 

 It is not very common here, and in the summer, 

 in many parts of the States, it is very rare. It 

 comes here from the South early in April, and re- 

 tires southward again about the first of October. 

 The song of this bird is remarkably clear and mel- 

 low, somewhat resembling the beautiful song of 

 the Warbling Vireo, but is louder and more va- 

 ried. "At times," as Nuttali observes, "the war- 

 ble is scarcely audible, and appears as at a dis- 

 tance ; it then, by a fine crescendo, bursts into 

 loudness, and falls into an ecstacy of ardent and 

 overpoAvering expression ; at such times the usual 

 pauses of the song are forgotten, and like the va- 

 ried lay of the Nightingale, the ravishing perform- 

 er, as if in serious emulation, seems to study every 

 art to produce the effect of brilliant and Avell- 

 contrasted harmony." 



In spring, they feed much upon the buds of 

 fruit trees, at the time they are just bursting into 

 leaves and blossoms, particularly those of the ap- 

 ple tree, of which they are extremely fond ; but 

 the species is not numerous enough to cause seri- 

 ous harm from this habit. In the fall, they are 

 more numerous than at other seasons, Avhen those 

 that have spent the summer northAvard are re- 

 turning, frequenting the garden and feeding upon 

 the seeds of various weeds, remaining till October. 



It commonly nests in low trees, laying three or 

 four eggs of a bright green color, Avith black spots, 

 in a nest composed Avith no great care of dry 

 grass and rootlets. 



The Purple Finch, or Linnet, by which name it 

 is commonly kucnvn as n cage bird, is about six 



