Song.—A clear, Robin-like whistle; call, a short whistle.
Nest.—A flat structure of twigs and rootlets placed at low elevations in trees or bushes. Four eggs, greenish white, spotted with brown (.90 × .65).
Range.—Breeds in mountains of western British America and northwestern U. S. South and east in winter to the Mississippi and rarely farther.
PINE GROSBEAK 515. Pinicola enucleator leucura. 8½ inches
Male rosy red; female gray and yellowish.
These pretty birds visit us every winter, coming from Canada and northern New England, where they are found in summer. They are very fearless birds and might almost be regarded as stupid; when they are feeding you can easily approach within a few feet of them, and they have often been caught in butterfly nets. They may, at times, be found in any kind of trees or woods, but they show a preference for small growth pines, where they feed upon the seeds and upon seeds of weeds that project above the snow.
Song.—A low sweet warble; call, a clear, repeated whistle.
Nest.—In coniferous trees, of twigs, rootlets and strips of bark; eggs three to four in number, greenish blue spotted with brown and lilac (1.00 × .70).
Range.—Breeds in eastern British America and northern New England; winters south to New York and Ohio. Several sub-species are found west of the Rockies.
PURPLE FINCH 517. Carpodacus purpureus. 6¼ inches
Male dull rosy red; female streaked brownish gray.
These beautiful songsters are common in the northern tier of states and in Canada. In spring the males are usually seen on, or heard from, tree tops in orchards or parks, giving forth their glad carols. They are especially musical in spring when the snow is just leaving the ground and the air is bracing. After family cares come upon them, they are quite silent, the male only occasionally indulging in a burst of song.
Song.—A loud, long-continued and very sweet warble; call, a querulous whistle.
Nest.—Of strips of bark, twigs, rootlets and grasses, placed at any height in evergreens or orchard trees. The eggs resemble, somewhat, large specimens of those of the Chipping Sparrow. They are three or four in number and are greenish blue with strong blackish specks (.85 × .65).
Range.—N. A. east of the Rockies, breeding from Pennsylvania and Illinois northward; winters throughout the United States.