HOUSE FINCH. 15 



more numerous in villages and suburbs than in the country, trees in 

 gardens are often entirely stripped. 



INJURY TO FRUIT BUDS. 



It is a little singular that formerly most of the complaints against 

 the linnet were that it destroyed the buds and blooms of fruit trees 

 instead of the fruit itself. Thus in 1886 Mr. R, P. Chandler, of 

 Riverside, San Bernardino County, wrote: 



The bird which is commonly known as the linnet, or crimson house finch, has 

 been observed to do great injury to the apricot crops of this section by feeding 

 on the fruit buds from the time they begin to swell until the trees are in bloom. 

 Two years ago my entire apricot crop was destroyed by the above birds, and I 

 took the opportunity to establish the facts of the case by shooting a large num- 

 ber for the purpose of examination. A great many of the birds that were shot 

 had small bits of buds, etc., stuck on their bills by the gummy substances of the 

 fruit buds. A further examination would invariably result in finding each and 

 every bird's stomach filled with buds. 



The same year J. C. Galloway, of Tustin, Cal., stated : 



The common linnet does great injury to the buds of the apricot, eating out 

 the center and destroying all the fruit buds on the tree in many cases, usually 

 in January and February, in this latitude. 



William Proud, of Rancho Chico, Cal., accuses the linnet of eating 

 both buds and fruit. He says : 



The burion, house finch, or linnet, is by far the most pernicious bird we have 

 to deal with in the orchard. He arrives in March and immediately commences 

 his ravages on the buds of the cherry, peach, plum, persimmon, etc. The first 

 cherry showing a red cheek is sampled by this most rapacious little bird. Then 

 comes the fruit of the apricot, peach, and fig. For the latter he shows a decided 

 partiality. When the fruit crop is exhausted he immediately turns his atten- 

 tion to all kinds of millets, sorghum, Egyptian corn, and. other small seeds. 



As showing how destructive the bird is to fruit, especially in small 

 orchards, the following is quoted from Dr. T. S. Palmer, then at 

 Berkeley, Alameda County, Cal. : 



The crimson house finch is the only bird that does any considerable damage 

 to fruit. As soon as the cherries begin to ripen the birds keep close watch of 

 the trees, and if the fruit is not gathered as soon as ripe they soon dispose of a 

 large portion of it. In our garden there are about a dozen cherry trees of 

 various kinds, and if not very closely watched, within a week or two from the 

 time when the fruit first begins to ripen almost every tree will be completely 

 stripped. Of course, in a large orchard the damage would not be so noticeable, 

 but still might be considerable. Later in the season when the cherries are 

 gone, the finches attack the plums and pears. 



F. H. Holmes, of Rio Vista, Solano County, Cal., under elate of 

 September, 1886, states: 



Our worst fruit pest is the crimson house finch, which, on account of its 

 abundance and familiarity, it is impossible to scare off. They injure mostly 

 cherries, figs, berries, peaches, and apricots. They often only peck each fruit 



