PINE GHOSBEAK. 
285 
^Jpvesented the female of too hrigjht a red. It is possible, 
my speoimen of the female mi^ht have been a bird 
*1* the tirst season, not come to its full colours. Those 
feured by Mr Edivards* nere both brouf;ht from 
^'idson’.s Bay, and ap])ear to be the same with the one 
“■Olv before us, tbou'>h his colouring- of the female differs 
'"'•terially from his description. 
If this", as Mr Pennant asserts, he the same species 
(''til that of tlie eastern continent, it would seem to 
'.‘hiahit almost the whole extent of the arctic regions, 
i- is found in the north of Scotland, where Pennant 
jtispeets it breeds. It inhabits Europe as far north as 
. fontheim; is common in all the pine forests of Asia, 
Siberia, and the north of Kussia ; is taken in autumn 
Ji’out Petersburg, and brought to market in great num- 
S'S. It returns to Lapland in spring; is found in 
*’6« fonudland ; and on the western coast of North 
^'lerica. 
. M'ere 1 to reason from analogy, I w'ould say, that 
['■om the great resemblance of this bird to the purple 
^'tcli, (J’lini/illa jmrpnrea,) it does not attain its full 
Wuiiiage until the second summer; and is subject to 
?''Usiderable change of colour in moulting, w Inch may 
cMe occasioned all tlie ditferences wo tind concerning 
1* in different authors. But this is actually ascertained 
i>e the case ; for Mr Edr\’ards saw two of these birds 
JJ'^e in Loudon, in cages; the person in whose custody 
}®'!y w ere, said they came from Norway ; that they 
I*®’! moulted their leathers, and were not afterwards so 
“'•'‘lutiful as they were at first. One of them, he says, 
coloured very much like the greenfinch, {F. clilo- 
Tlip purple finch, though much smaller, has the 
'^*np, head, hack, and breast, nearly of the same colour 
^ the pine grosbeak, feeds in the same manner, on the 
'***»€ food, and is also subject to like changes of colour. 
Edwards, vol. iii, p- 124. 
f Pennant. 
