32 
OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 250 
are Grger, hardier birds, more or less gregarious during winter and 
are songsters of high rank. Their food is chiefly vegetable matter 0 
On the whole, they are beneficial, although a few do some damage by 
eating tree seeds and buds. 
PURPLE FINCH, Carpodacus purpureus purpureus (Gmel.) 
This sweet songster is not well enough known in the state to be 
recognized generally. It occurs as a migrant or rare winter resi¬ 
dent, but is at no time common. The flight is undulating, and the 
metallic call note uttered when in flight is characteristic. The 
plumage of the male is a suffused rose-red. It is one of the sweetest 
songsters of this large family of gifted singers; hence, its universal 
popularity as a cage bird. It is noted as a bud eater, but the good 
resulting from its destruction of weed seeds and of insects probably 
more than balances the harm it does. 
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, Astragalinus tnstis tnstis (Linn.) 
Known to many as Thistle-bird or Wild Canary, It is one of 
our common birds of the open country, and one of unusual indi¬ 
viduality. The musical call which accompanies the gliding, undul¬ 
ating flight is unmistakable in summer, and can be confused alone 
with that of the Redpoll which occurs as a rare and irregular winter 
visitor. The handsome jet and gold of the male is a delight to the 
eye, and the wild, sweet, canary-like melody is equally pleasing to 
the ear. Few birds are possessed of so many good qualities; not 
only is the Goldfinch a handsome bird and a sweet singer ? but also 
it is of great importance from an economic viewpoint. No other bird 
destroys so many seeds of thistles and other composite plants. 
Besides the foregoing, seeds of ragweed and of many other equally 
troublesome plants are eaten in quantity. This bird is fond of the 
seeds of the sunflower, and its presence is assured in the garden if 
these plants are found growing there. It is especially active in its 
destruction of plant lice, caterpillars and small grasshoppers, while 
the Hessian Fly, so inj urious to cereal crops, is eaten to some extent. 
The nesting season is not until late summer, later than that of any 
other bird except the Cedar Waxwing. 
VESPER SPARROW, Pooecetes gramineus gramineus (Gmel.) 
Also known as Grass Finch, Bay-wing Bunting and Ground-bird. 
Although one of our most abundant species, it is not ordinarily dis¬ 
tinguished from other ground-dwelling Sparrows. This bird 
frequents country roads, grass and grain fields. Progress is made 
by running (not hopping), and this together with the characteristic 
white outer tail feathers, so conspicuous in flight, should readily 
