( 517 ) 



PAINTED FINCH. 



Fringilla Ciris, Temm. 



PLATE LIII. Vol. I. p. 279. 



I HAVE nothing to add to my account of the habits of this beauti- 

 ful species ; but my friend Dr Bachman has favoured me with the fol- 

 lowing very interesting notice regarding its change of plumage, and 

 which is greatly at variance with my report on that subject, as well as 

 those of Wilson and all other writers. " I have kept these birds for 

 many years in aviaries. The males and females of a year old were of 

 a uniform colour, but I have invariably found them to assume their 

 perfect plumage in the second year. This bird could be easily domes- 

 ticated and multiplied in Europe, in the manner of the Canary. I 

 have had them to raise three broods of young in the year in confine- 

 ment. The plumage, however, in this state, was never so brilliant as 

 when wild." 



CHIPPING SPARROW. 



Fringilla socialis, Wils. 



PLATE CIV. Vol. IL p. 21. 



I AM now of opinion that this small species is altogether confined 

 within the range of the United States and a small portion of the east- 

 ern adjoining provinces. It does not extend westward beyond the head 

 waters of the Missouri, nor south-westward beyond the Opelousas. None 

 were observed by the members of my party in Texas. The Chipping 

 Sparrow is almost as abundant in our country, as the Domestic Sparrow 

 is in Europe, and it is nearly as familiar, though otherwise different in 

 its habits. Dr Brewer has sent me the following notice respecting it : 

 " With hardly a single exception, it is the most numerous species in 

 Massachusetts. It does not, however, arrive here so soon by seven 



