SPECIES 2. FRINGILLA PURPUREA, 
PURPLE FINCH. 
[Plate VII. — Fig. 4, adult male.] 
Fringilla purpurea, Gmel. Syst. i, 923. — Bouvreuil violet de la 
Caroline, Buff, iv, 395. — Purple Finch, Arct. Zool. ii, JV*o. 
258. — Catesb. I, 41. — Lath. Syn. iii, 275, 39. — Crimson-head- 
ed Finch, Arct. Zool. ii, JVb. 257. — Latham, Syn. iii, 275, 39. 
— Uemp-hird, Bartram, 291. Fringilla purpurea. Id. 291. — 
Peale’s Museum, JSTo. 6504. 
This is a winter bird of passage, coming to us in large flocks 
from the north, in September and October, great numbers re- 
maining with us in Pennsylvania during the whole winter, feed- 
ing 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 at- 
tacked in the same manner; and their depredations on these con- 
tinue till they disappear, which is usually about the tenth or mid- 
dle 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 nu- 
merous 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 
