JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



51 



1874. (Brewster, Bull, Nutt, Orn, Club 

 III, 16). Mr. O. W. Knight has also 

 produced two statements of its occur- 

 ence in summer. (Knight, Bds. of Me, 

 p. 90). In the vicinity of Portland, 

 where it does not occur in summer, it 

 has not, so far as I know, been ob- 

 served earlier than Nov. 5, having thus 

 been reported twice by Mr. N. C. 

 Brown (Brown, Proc, Port. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist. II p. 12, 1882). Its coming is 

 likely, however, to be delayed until the 

 20th or 25th. 



The latest date recorded for the 

 same section is April 18, 1897, on 

 which date it was observed by Mr. 

 Knight and the author at Scar- 

 borough (Knight, Me. Sportsman, Sept. 

 1897, p. 11). They usually are all gone 

 late in March. 



These b:'rds like several other boreal 

 and arctic species are occasionally sub- 

 ject to great southward movements up- 

 on which occasions their numbers may 

 be so great ' that they are forced to 

 forage upon weed patches like Snow- 

 flakes and Red-polls. The last of 

 these flights to visit Maine and other 

 New England states, took place during 

 the early winter of 1892-93. 



The movements of this great body of 

 birds was traced from Northumberland 

 Strait to the Hudson River, by Mr. 

 Wm. Brewster, who also treated very 

 fully upon their habits, calls and food. 

 (Brewster, Auk. XII p. 245). They are 

 usually very tame, especially the 

 females and young, and may be taken 

 by means of a hair or thread attached 

 to a pole. The adult males are more 

 wary and not so easily taken by this 

 means. 



Both Messrs. Smith and Knight in 

 their writings, treat of the birds in 

 captivity. (Smith, Forest & Stream, 

 Jan. 11, 1883, p. 465) (KnightAuk. XIII 

 1886, p. 21-24). 



I have elsewhere mentioned their 

 habit of feeding along a definite line 



(Journal Me. Orn. Soc, I p. 6) and will 

 here add that when a flock or pair of 

 birds is found resorting to a yard or 

 other place, their visits could no doubt 

 be insured until a late date, by supply- 

 ing grain or hemp seed under their 

 favorite trees. 



Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel). Pur- 

 ple Finch, Rose Linnet. A resident, 

 probably irregular as such, rare in 

 winter except locally. Abundant in 

 summer and breeding throughout the 

 State. Though it appears in spring 

 as early as March 21, it seems to be 

 irregular in its coming and much of- 

 tener appears about April 10. 



Indeed it seems probable that these 

 early birds may be ones that have win- 

 tered in some secluded place, and corns, 

 forth as the warming influence oi 

 spring revives the energy of all ani- 

 mate things. 



As a winter resident ;n Maine, it 

 seems to have been first reported by 

 Mr. F. T. Jencks, who observed it 

 "Wintering in abundance near the 

 Rangeley Lakes." The fact was pub- 

 lished in the Random Notes on Nat. 

 History, 1884, I No. 2 p. 9 et. seq. (Cf. 

 Auk. 1886 III, p. 270). It had, however, 

 been reported a year earlier as winter- 

 ing in Prince Edwards Island by Mr. 

 Bain. (Bain, Auk. 1885, II, p. 263). In 

 1888 Mr. John C. Brown discovered it 

 wintering in Portland, and published 

 full accounts of his observations in the 

 Portland Daily Advertiser, for March 

 20, 1888, and in the Auk. (Brown, Auk. 

 1888, V. p. 209). 



During the winter of 1891-92 it was 

 observed by the author and his broth- 

 er, wintering in Westbrook and Gor- 

 ham. A small number of birds, mostly 

 males, were observed on frequent oc- 

 casions from Dec. 19, 1891 to Feb. 22, 

 1892, and again on March 21. 1892. 

 when a female was taken. It -was also 

 reported to me as occurring at Cape 

 Elizabeth, well into Dec. 1891. Mr, 



