PURPLE FINCH. 79 
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~ PURPLE FINCH.—FRINGILLA PURPUREA. — Fie. 28. 
' Fringilla purpurea G'mel. Syst. i. 923.— Bouvreuil violet de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 
395, — Purple Finch, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 258. — Catesb. i. 41. — Lath. Synop. iii. 
975, 39.— Crimson-headed Finch, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 257.— Lath. eye. ii 
275, 39. — Gmmel. Syst. i. 864.— Fringilla rosea Pallas, iii. 699, 26.— Hemp 
Bird, Bartram, 291. — Fringilla Purpurea, Id. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6504. 
ERYTHROSPIZA PURPUREA. — Bonaparte. 
Fringilla purpurea, Bonap. Synop. p. 114.— Purple Finch, Aud. i. p. 24, Pl. iv.— 
Fnngilla purpurea. Crested Purple Finch, North. Zool. it. p. 264. — Erythrospiza 
purpurea, Osserv. di C. L. Bonap. Sulla Sec. Ed. del. Cuv, Reg. Anim. p. 80. 
Turs is a winter bird of passage, coming to us in large flocks from 
the north, in September and October; great numbers remaining with 
us in Pennsylvania during the whole winter, feeding on the seeds of 
the poplar, button-wood, juniper, cedar, and on those of many rank 
weeds that flourish in rich bottoms, and along the margin of creeks. 
When the season is very severe, they proceed to the south, as far at 
. least as Georgia, returning north early in April. They now frequent 
the elm-trees, feeding on the slender but sweet covering of the 
flowers; and as soon as the cherries put out their blossoms, feed 
almost exclusively on the stamina of the flowers; afterwards the 
apple blossoms are attacked in the same manner; and their depreda- 
tions on these continue till they disappear, which is usually about the 
10th or middle of May. I have been told that they sometimes breed 
in the northern parts of New York, but have never met with their 
nests. About the middle of September, I found these birds numerous 
on Long Island, and round Newark in New Jersey. They fly at a 
considerable height in the air, and their note is a single chink, like 
that of the Rice Bird. They possess great boldness and spirit, and, 
when caught, bite violently, and hang by the bill from your hand, 
striking with great fury; but they are soon reconciled to confine- 
ment, and in a day or two are quite at home. I have kept a pair of 
these birds upwards of nine months to observe their manners.’ One 
was caught in a trap, the other was winged with the gun; both are 
_now as familiar as if brought up from the nest by the hand, and 
seem to prefer hemp seed and’ cherry blossoms to all other kinds 
of food. Both male and female, though not crested, are almost 
constantly in the habit of erecting the feathers of the crown; they 
appear to be of atyrannical and. domineering disposition, for they 
nearly killed an Indigo Bird, and two or three others, that were 
occasionally placed with them, driving them into a corner of the cage, 
standing on them, and tearing out their feathers, striking them on the 
‘head, munching their wings, &c., till I was obliged to interfere; and, 
even if called to, the aggressor would only turn up a malicious eye to 
me for a moment, and renew his outrage as before. They are a hardy, 
vigorous bird. Jn the month of October, about the time of their first 
arrival, I shot a male, rich in plumage, and plump in flesh, but which 
wanted one leg, that had been taken off a little above the knee; the 
