274 
bird. Almost any dried winter fruit is taken and it delights to remove the 
seeds from old rotten apples left hanging through the winter. The charge 
that it damages trees by picking off the buds may contain an element of 
truth, but the habit cannot be seriously considered as a source of appreciable 
damage. 
515. Pine Grosbeak (Including Rocky Mountain, Alaska, Kadiak, and Queen 
Charlotte Pine Grosbeaks). Pinicola enudeator. L, 9-08. Plate LI A. One of the 
largest of the Sparrows, with typical, heavy grosbeak bill (like Figure 259). Dull, uniform 
grey, but the adult male suffused with strong rosy or scarlet hues over head, back, wings, 
and breast. Females and juveniles with rusty yellow suffusion over head and rump. 
Distinctions. The red male is rather similar to the Purple Finch, but is a rosier red and 
much larger. By reason of winter occurrence in most localities, likely to be confused only 
with the Evening Grosbeak. The Pine Grosbeak, however, has a dark instead of a light 
coloured bill, and the wings are dull brownish grey writh white wings-bars, but not con- 
spicuously black and white. Unlike the female Rose-breasted or Black-headed Grosbeaks, 
it has no stripes anywhere in any plumage. 
Field Marks. Size; dark, grosbeak bill, and the general red of adult male. The 
majority of birds that come south during migration are in the dull juvenile or female 
plumage, and a flock gives the effect of a number of large, dull, slate-coloured birds, in 
favourable lights warming to yellow on crown and rump. They are usually accompanied 
by a few rosy-red individuals. The ordinary notes are ridiculously small and thin for so 
large a bird, though it has a clear, loud whistle. 
Nesting. In coniferous trees; nest of twigs and rootlets. 
Distribution. Northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. In America, the 
northern parts of the continent and down the mountains to New Mexico. In Canada, 
breeding in the northern coniferous forest and south along the western mountains. Mi- 
grates southward in winter. 
SUBSPECIES. Divided, by slight characters, into a number of geographical races. 
Those accepted in the Check-list for western Canada are as follows: the Canadian Pine 
Grosbeak Pinicola enudeator leucura is the eastern bird, breeding throughout the northern 
forest, west to the Mackenzie. The Rocky Mountain Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enudeator 
montana of the boreal summits of the mountains from central Alberta southward. The 
Alaska Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enudeator alascensis breeds from the Mackenzie into 
Alaska and down the mountains to the state of Washington. The Kadiak Pine Grosbeak 
Pinicola enudeator flammula breeds on the southern Alaskan coast. All these forms may 
occur south of their breeding range in winter migration. As the characters are difficult of 
recognition, the wanderings of the race have not been accurately mapped. A rich rosy 
form from the Queen Charlotte islands, Pinicola enudeator carlottae, the best-marked form 
of all, has recently been described, but has not yet been accepted by the Committee on 
Nomenclature. 
These, throughout most of southern Canada, are winter visitors from 
the north. Their presence can rarely be anticipated, for their movements 
are very irregular. They are frequenters of coniferous trees, but are very 
fond of the mountain-ash or rowan-tree berries and the fruit of the sumach. 
Economic Status. As the Pine Grosbeak spends the summer in the 
northern woods and visits settled sections only in winter, the damage it 
can do is reduced to a minimum. It eats wild and waste fruit left hanging 
on the trees so that its economic effect is too slight to be appreciable. 
517. Purple Finch (Including Californian Purple Finch). Carpodacus purpureas. 
L, 6 *22. Plate LI B. About the size of House Sparrow. Adult male: head, breast, 
back, and rump washed with dull purplish rose, more or less variegated or striped with 
brown on back. Wings and tail brown, slightly edged with rose. Below, white. Females 
and juveniles: dull brownish olive, more or less broken into stripes alxive, and heavily 
striped with olive on white below. 
Distinctions. To be seriously confused only with Cassia’s Finch of the interior of 
British Columbia. The adult male is red like the Pine Grosbeak, but very much smaller; 
the female and juveniles, with their considerable olive streaking, are quite distinctive 
from that species. The Purple Finch may bear a superficial resemblance to the Cross- 
bills, but is larger and the mandibles are not crossed (compare with Figure 261). From 
