256 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



tented with its situation wherever encountered. A whole tree full of 

 these birds may frequently be seen feeding on the seeds of mountain ash 

 berries, apples or the buds of beeches. One may stand within a few feet 

 of them for a long time without their taking any notice of one's presence. 

 They are rather slow and deliberate in manner. Their flight, however, 

 is rather rapid and aggressive, slightly undulating as is usual in this family. 

 While on the wing they often utter a high-pitched call resembling some- 

 what the note of the Purple finch, or two or three high whistles similar 

 to the notes of the Yellow-leg's " tee-te, tee-tee-te.'" The food of the Pine 

 grosbeak in this State includes the seeds of spruces, larches, hemlocks 

 and pines, berries of sumac, mountain ash, cedar, Crategus or American 

 hawthorn, and wild apple; also buds of apple, peach and birch. Like 

 the crossbills they are more or less gregarious, but in this State the flocks 

 nearly always consist principally of young birds and females, sometimes 

 not more than 2 or 3 red birds being found in a flock of 20 or 30 

 individuals. 



Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus 

 Chaffinch 



Description. " Forehead black; crown and nape greenish blue; back 

 and scapulars chestnut tinged with green; rump green; breast chestnut 

 red fading into white on the belly; wings black, with 2 white bands; coverts 

 of the secondaries tipped with yellow; tail black, the 2 middle feathers 

 ash gray, the 2 outer on each side black with a broad white band. Female: 

 Head, back and scapulars ash brown tinged with olive; lower parts greenish 

 white; the transverse wing bands less deflned." Hudson 



Length 6.5 inches. 



Distribution. This bird is one of the most popular songsters of 

 Britain and western Europe in general, a bird of the orchards and hedge- 

 rows. It was introduced in 1890 at Central Park, New York City, by 

 Mr Eugene Schieffelin, several pairs being released, and was still found 

 in that vicinity as late as 1906, when Mr Chapman reported that 3 

 individuals at least were still in the park. In 1900 I noticed several speci- 

 mens near the northern end of Manhattan island. It is probable, however, 



