HOUSE FINCH (Carpodacus mexicanus 

 frontalis). 



Length, about 6 inches. Grayish brown above, 

 many feathers tinged with red. Below dull white, 

 crown, rump, and throat crimson. 



Range: Resident in Oregon, Idaho and southeast- 

 ern Wyoming south to Lower California and Mexico. 



The pretty little house finch of the far west is 

 among the most domestic of American birds, and 

 exhibits a predilection for the neighborhood of 

 houses almost as strong as that of the English spar- 

 row. It carols its sprightly lay from the tops of 

 buildings in villages and even cities, and from the 

 shrubbery of lawn and park. So confiding has the 

 bird become that it places its nest in any crack or 

 cranny ©f house or outbuilding that is large enough 

 for its housekeeping operations. When such con- 

 venient and safe retreats are not to be had it builds a 

 bulky nest in a tree or bush. 



It is fond of fruit, including pears, cherries, and 

 small fruit, which its strong conical bill enables 

 it to break open with ease. Locally, therefore, it is a 

 good deal of a pest and does much damage to fruit 

 crops, especially where it is numerous. Much, how- 

 ever, can be said in mitigation of its offenses. The 

 seeds of plants, a large proportion of those of noxious 

 weeds, constitute seven-eighths of its food for the 

 year. Plant lice which are notoriously harmful to 

 many trees and plants, also are a favorite diet. So 

 too are caterpillars and beetles; therefore, the balance 

 is decidedly in the bird's favor. 



This attractive songster was carried to the 

 Hawaiian Islands years ago and now is numerous in 

 Honolulu and also in the forest on the island of 

 Hawaii where amid brighter and more tropical 

 neighbors it seems curiously out of place, though 

 it sings as often and as joyously as it ever did in its 

 old haunts across the Pacific. 



ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH (Astragalinus 

 psaltria and sub-species). 



Length, about 4§ inches. Upper parts olive green, 

 more or less mixed with black in the sub-species; 

 under parts yellow. 



Range: Breeds from southern Oregon, Utah and 

 northern Colorado to southern Lower California and 

 into Mexico. 



In the far west this goldfinch takes the place of 

 the eastern goldfinch which in a general way it much 

 resembles in habits. Like that bird it is rarely seen, 

 save in the breeding season, except in small parties, 

 the members of which seem to be on terms of the 

 utmost familiarity and accord. The flight of this 

 species, as of its kindred, is exceedingly character- 

 istic. It disdains to cleave the air in straight lines 

 but progresses in a series of graceful sinuous curves, 

 which, however, take the little aeronaut rapidly 

 from point to point. This flight is a sure mark of 

 identification. The bird has a sweet warbling song 

 and even its call notes are plaintive and pleasing. 

 It abounds in orchards and gardens and is often to 

 be seen by the roadside gleaning its food from the 

 tall stems of thistle, sunflowers, groundsel and other 

 seed-bearing plants and weeds, ail of them either 

 useless or positively harmful. It is by no means 

 wholly a vegetarian, however, and eats many plant 

 lice, sometimes filling the stomach with these 

 minute creatures to the exclusion of all other food. 

 As a weevil eater it is peerless, and it does no harm 

 to any product of husbandry. Altogether this pretty 

 little goldfinch deserves protection at the hands of 

 man. 



PURPLE FINCH (Carpodacus purpureus). 



Length, about 6 to 6j inches. Unlike any other 

 eastern finch, the crimson head of the male sufficient- 

 ly distinguishes it. 



Range: Breeds in southern Canada and south- 

 ward to North Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Penn- 

 sylvania mountains, and northern New Jersey; 

 winters from somewhat north of the southern bound- 

 ary of its breeding range to the Gulf States. 



Considering that it is common and widely distrib- 

 uted, the purple finch is not so well known as it 

 should be. For one thing it has a marked liking 

 for the tops of trees, particularly elms, and when 

 in a tree top and more or less screened by foliage it 

 requires the aid of a good glass to make its identity 

 sure. Its warbling song is sweet and melodious but 

 is all too brief for perfect enjoyment, though in 

 spring the bird is prodigal enough of its carols, and 

 not infrequently a dozen males may be heard sing- 

 ing at once in the same or in contiguous trees. It 

 frequently nests around houses and for a site is very 

 partial to the Virginia Juniper. 



The purple finch lives almost entirely on the seeds 

 of various plants, including those of false buckwheat 

 and ragweed, with some wild berries. It is accused, 

 not without reason, of being a confirmed budder of 

 fruit and other trees, but the damage it inflicts on 

 eastern orchards appears to be very slight, if indeed 

 the modest budding it does is an injury at all. 



AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Astragalinus 

 tristis and sub-species). 



Length, about 5 inches. Easily distinguished by 

 its rich yellow plumage and black crown and tail. 



Range: Breeds from southern Canada south to 

 southern California, southern Colorado, Arkansas 

 and northern Georgia. 



The thistle bird is one of our best known finches, 

 being not only common but very sociable. It usu- 

 ally goes in small flocks, or family parties, and some- 

 times the tall thistles on which it likes to feed bend 

 with the united weight of several of the gay plumaged 

 little goldfinches. It is a law unto itself as regards 

 its nesting period, and begins to think seriously about 

 housekeeping when other birds are feeding full 

 grown youngsters, or are debating the propriety of a 

 second brood. The goldfinch has a pretty and plain- 

 tive call note, and its full song is well worth listening 

 to. It is much like that of the canary, so much alike, 

 in fact, that the bird is often called the wild canary. 



Throughout the year the goldfinch is a seed eater, 

 especially of weed seeds, and it eats also many 

 insects, including canker worms, plant lice, and 

 beetles. Our goldfinch sometimes annoys the farmer 

 by attacking the lettuce seeds which have been left 

 to mature for next season's planting, but the damage 

 in this way is slight, and Prof. Beal has been told 

 that even on the large seed farms of California it is 

 never serious enough to call for protective measures. 



(See Biol. Surv. Bui. 17 and Bui. 34, pp. 71-73.) 



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