386 PURPLE FINCH. 
‘ 
PURPLE FINCH:—FRINGILLA PURPUREA. — Fic. 176. 
ERYTHROSPIZA PURPUREA. — Bonararte.* 
Txis bird is represented as he appears previous to receiving his 
crimson plumage, and also when moulting. By recurring to Fig. 28 
of this work, which exhibits him in his full dress, the great difference 
of color will be observed to which this species is annually subject. 
It is matter of-doubt with me whether.this species ought not to be 
classed with the Lovia; the great thickness-of the bill, and similarity 
that prevails between this and the Pine Grosbeak, almost induced me 
to adopt it into that class. But respect for other authorities has pre- 
vented me from making this alteration.’ ; : 
When these birds are taken in their crimson dress, and kept in a 
cage till they moult their feathers, they uniformly change to their pres- 
ent appearance, and sometimes never after receive their red color. 
They are also subject, if well fed, to become so fat as literally to die 
of corpulency, of which I have seen several instances; being at these 
times subject to something resembling apoplexy, from which they 
sometimes recover in a few minutes, but oftener expire in the same 
space of time. ; 
The female is entirely without the red, and differs from the present 
only in having less yellow about her, ; s 
These birds regularly arrive from the north, where they breed, in 
September; and visit us from the south again early in April, feeding 
on the cherry blossoms as soon as they appear. Of the particulars 
relative to this species, the reader is'referred to the account already 
mentioned, ; : j 
The individual represented in Fig. 176, measured six inches and a 
quarter in length, and ten inches in extent; the bill was horn colored; 
upper parts of the plumage, brown olive, strongly tinged with yellow, 
particularly on the rump, where it was brownish yellow ; from above 
the eye, backwards, passed a streak of white, and another more irreg- - 
ular one from the lower mandible; feathers of the crown, narrow, 
rather long, and\generally erected, but not so as to form a crest; nos- 
trils, and base of the bill, covered with reflected brownish hairs; eye, 
dark hazel; wings and tail, dark blackish brown, edged with olive; 
first and/second row of coverts, tipt with pale yellow; chin, white; 
breast pale cream, marked with pointed spots of deep olive brown; 
belly and vent, white; legs, brown. This bird, with several others 
marked nearly in the same manner, was shot 25th April, while engaged 
in eating the buds from the beech tree. 
* See description of adult male, Note and Synonyms, p. 79. 
