82 



PINE GROSBEAK. 



as Dronthiem; is common in all the pine forests of Asia, in Sibe- 

 ria, and the north of Russia, is taken in autumn about Petersburg, 

 and brought to market in great numbers. It returns to Lapland 

 in spring; is found in Newfoundland; and on the western coast of 

 North America.* 



Were I to reason from analogy, I would say, that from the 

 great resemblance of this bird to the Purple-finch (Frin. purpurea), 

 it does not attain its full plumage until the second summer; and 

 is subject to considerable change of color in moulting, which may 

 have occasioned all the differences we find concerning it in differ- 

 ent authors. But this is actually ascertained to be the case; for 

 Mr. Edwards saw two of these birds alive in London, in cages; 

 the person in whose custody they were, said they came from Nor- 

 way ; that they had moulted their feathers, and were not afterwards 

 so beautiful as they were at first. One of them, he says, was co- 

 lored very much like the Green-finch (L. Chloris). The Purple- 

 finch, tho much smaller, has the rump, head, back and breast nearly 

 of the same color as the Pine Grosbeak, feeds in the same manner, 

 on the same food, and is also subject to like changes of color. 



Since writing the above I have kept one of these Pine Gros- 

 beaks, a male, for more than half a year. In the month of August 

 those parts of the plumage which were red became of a greenish 

 yellow, and continue so still. In May and June its song, tho not 

 so loud as some birds of its size, was extremely clear, mellow and 

 sweet. It would warble out this for a whole morning together, and 

 acquired several of the notes of a Red-bird (L. cardinalis), that 

 hung near it. It is exceedingly tame and familiar, and when it 

 wants food or water utters a continual melancholy and anxious 

 note. It was caught in winter near the North river, thirty or forty 

 miles above New York. 



* Pennant. 



