179 
seen at most of the stations. They left River Falls, Wis., March 15, 
and Red Wing, Minn., March 21. At Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, 
they were seen until April 10. 
517. Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.). [168.] Purple Finch. 
The Purple Finch breeds in Manitoba and the Upper Mississippi Val- 
ley, and is a regular winter resident in the southern portion. The bulk 
pass the winter south of latitude 40°, At Caddo, Ind. Ter., in the win- 
ter of 188384, they did not arrive until the real cold weather came ; the 
first flock was seen January 10, and they were still present March 18. 
At Gainesville, Tex., an adult male was seen March 20. 
The reports show that the species does not move northward with much 
precision, but arrives at favorite places long before it is seen at neigh- 
boring stations. For this reason no exact dates of movement can be 
given, and it can only be said that the species began to move out of 
winter quarters March 20 to 25, and that during the last week of March 
and the first week of April it passed up to latitude 45°; but during 
March a few individuals were found close to the Mississippi as high as 
latitude 44° 30’. On April 21 it appeared at Portage La Prairie, Man- 
itoba. It breeds regularly from northern Minnesota and Dakota north- 
ward, but has also been found breeding in northern Illinois. Mr. Kline 
has taken one set of eggs at Polo, IIL. 
To show how the composition of the flocks changes from time to time 
in the same place, we can do no better than reproduce Mr. Widmann’s 
record from Saint Louis: 
During the winter of 1883-84 flocks were found at their old stand. There were 
not so many asin the winter of 1882~63, and crimson and plain birds were almost 
equally numerous. In cold weather they keep mostly on the ground, feeding on 
seeds of ash; in warm weather they ascend to the tree tops to feed on buds. Feb- 
ruary 23 there was achange in the flocks; they became larger, but there wasa 
decrease in the number of crimson birds (that is, the old males), 75 per cent. being 
brown birds, the balance light crimson. March 17, flocks excited, mostly of brown 
birds, but singing. March 27, the bulk departed. April 19, the species still present 
in small flocks, mostly brown, but singing much. April 28, last regular migrants. 
May 5, an accidental party of eight or ten, all brown; May 7, asingle brown bird seen. 
During the winter of 1884~85 a few Purple Finches were seen at 
Saint Louis, Mo., and at Shawneetown, Il. At Des Moines, Iowa, a 
large flock was noted February 25, but no more were observed until 
regular migration began in March. The first migrants appeared at 
Saint Louis, March 3; Des Moines, March 14; Lanesboro, Minn., March 
22; Hastings, Minn., March 31; Rockford, Ill., April 1; Green Bay, 
Wis., April 2; and Shell River, Manitoba, April 30. The whole record 
for 1885 at Saint Louis is: 
February 27, three brown individuals seen, winter visitants; March 3, first mi- 
grants, five, crimson ; March 11, slight increase, scattered; March 31, first large flock, 
many crimson, and in full son g; April 6 to April 16, bulk present; April 27, last. 
In the fall of 1885 the first came to Green Bay, Wis., September 15; 
Lanesboro, Minn., October 17; and Mount Carmel, Mo., October 7, 
