Display of the Purple Finch. — On May 20, while at the path between, 
the Flume House and the Flume, Crawford Notch, White Mts., N. H., I 
watched an interesting display of a male Purple Finch. There were two 
pairs of these birds. Close by me were two males and a female feeding on 
the ground, and perhaps twenty-five yards away a single female, also 
hopping about on the ground. Very suddenly one of the males jumped 
up and after a short rapid flight fit about six inches from the lone female, 
and stood bolt upright, and facing her with extended wings He then 
began to vibrate his wings rapidly, but kept them extended all the while. 
The motion was so fast that the wings were blurred to the eye. I have 
seen a cock silver pheasant display in a somewhat similar way, sitting on a 
perch, only the vibration of the wings did not extend over so wide an arc. 
The male finch kept this up for ten seconds, with perhaps only one or two 
brief intervals of arrested motion. Then the second male bird charged 
him and put him to flight. Evidently it was a case of trespass.— John C. 
Phillips, Wenham, Mass. 
