ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF OUR BIRDS. 
leaves of various small plants (Cooper). Keys of the ash-leaved maple (Captain 
Blakinston). Seeds of pine and the larvai of a large black ant (Brewer). Seeds 
of the sugar maple (Dr. Hoy). 
78. PiNicoLA ENUCLEATOR (LiNN.), V. PINE GROSBEAK. Group H. 
Class c. 
The Pine Grosbeak, like the last species, is a winter visitant of ii*regular occur¬ 
rence. Mr. Trippe states]that it api>ears in Wisconsin about the middle of Novem¬ 
ber, when it feeds on the'buds and seeds of the alder, birch, etc., together with 
the seeds of weeds that abound on the prairies. During severe winters they 
are sometimes driven southward in great numbers into cities and about dwell¬ 
ings, in quest of food. During the winter of 1869-70, large numbers visited the 
coast of Massachusetts, and did considerable damage to the fruit buds of the 
apple and pear of that region. 
Food; Buds of birch and willow (Wilson). Buds, berries and seeds of pines 
(De Kay). Seeds of white spruce (Richardson). Buds of apple and pear, and 
berries of red cedar (Brewer). Buds of poplar in the Yukon Territory (Mr. 
Dali). 
79. Carpodacus purpureus (Gm.), Gray. PURPLE FINCH. Group I. 
Class c. 
This species is common during the migrations, and a few breed in the central 
part of the state. Mr. Nelson speaks of it as a winter resident in Northeastern 
Illinois, where it arrives the last of October. With us it makes its appearance 
early in September. At Ithaca, N. Y., it is a common summer resident, breeding 
in and about the city; and there, the Cowbird often deposits her eggs in its nest. 
Dr. Brewer states that one season no less than seven pairs of this Finch took up 
their abode in his yard. It is, therefore, fast assuming familiarity with man. As 
with the last two species, it is quite extensively a vegetable-feedei’, and the char¬ 
acter of its food is such as to bespeak for it some dangerous tendencies. It is 
often an unwelcome visitor to fruit-growers in Massachusetts, owing to its fond¬ 
ness for the blossoms of the apitle, cherry, plum and peach. Mr. Samuels says 
that it is one of the few injurious birds of New England. 
In a single instance, I saw one of these birds, early in the spring, feeding upon 
the fmit buds of an apple tree. It passed in succession from one bud to another, 
first picking the bud and shucking off the coarser scales, eating only the tender 
portion. There is another habit which this bird possesses, which I hope will be 
found to more than compensate for what injury it may do. It is that of de¬ 
stroying aphidee. June 24, 1878, Mr. Trelease and myself observed one of 
these birds at work upon one of the small elm shade-trees on the campus of 
Cornell University, which was infested with a species of plant-louse that lives in 
colonies of a hundred or more on the underside of the leaves, causing tliem to 
curl backward so as to completely encase the plant-lice. The bird would turn 
its head sideways to the leaf and thrust its bill under its crumpled edge to ex¬ 
tract the lice. We w'atched it pass to several leaves and rid them of their ver¬ 
min in this manner; and the wliole i^rocedure was so direct and unhesitating as 
to leave no doubt in my mind that the practice was not a new one. It would 
even hang back downward in order to better get at the infested leaves. 
Food: Seeds of the iron-vvood, and of various weeds and plants, buds of the 
apple, plant-lice, and caterpillars. 
