269 
A GREAT HUNTER 
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weed stalk. Grass, leaves, downy seeds and fine 
roots, with a lining of fine grass and hair, make 
up its comfortable depths. Another cousin of the 
chewink is the purple finch. He is a veritable 
little music-box, and is as well known to the boys 
and girls of the Middle and New England states 
as the robin is to you. Indeed Mrs. Purple 
Finch has such confidence in mankind that one 
may almost touch her while she is brooding. She 
has doubtless never heard of caged finches, or if 
she has, their common name of purple linnet de¬ 
ceives her. 
“ The chewinks are exceedingly industrious, 
and must be numbered among our very best in¬ 
sect hunters. They come early enough to destroy 
the sleepers in the rubbish piles, and here is where 
the chewinks get in their best service to mankind. 
They destroy these nuisances before they have a 
chance to propagate. Chief among the pests so 
taken are the beetle larvse, especially the white 
grub of the May-beetles. But the chewinks are 
not by any means partial to beetles. As the sea¬ 
son advances, you will find them hunting moths, 
hairy caterpillars, cabbage worms, grasshoppers, 
potato bugs, and even cockroaches. There is 
practically no limit to their appetite, and a half 
dozen chewink families on the premises will save 
the farmer and orchardist many dollars through¬ 
out the growing season.” 
