Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/201

 FINCH 193 parts carmine ; quills and tail purplish brown ; secondary coverts green. The female has a brown bill, the upper parts light olive green, and the under parts dull orange, paler behind ; the male of the first year resembles the female, except in having the blue lower mandible of his sex ; the adult male plumage is not obtained until the fourth year. It is an inhabitant of the south Atlantic and gulf states, extending into Texas and Mexico ; its flight is short and quick, and its movements on the ground like those of the sparrows; its song is very sono- rous and pleasing, and is continued through the hottest part of the day ; the nest is usually built in an orange tree, and the eggs, four or five, are of a fine bluish pearl color, speckled with blackish. It appears in the vicinity of New Orleans about the middle of April, when great numbers are taken in traps, set with a stuffed specimen of a male bird ; all males which per- ceive this are led by their pugnacious disposi- tion to attack it, and the trap springs upon them during the operation; they are easily kept in confinement, and will sing and breed in captivity if properly cared for. Great num- bers of this beautiful finch were formerly car- ried to Europe, where they brought almost fabulous prices, a bird which cost eight cents in New Orleans selling in London or Paris for more than twice as many dollars. Their flocks sometimes occasion considerable damage to ripe figs and grapes, of which they are ex- ceedingly fond. The lazuli finch (S. amcena, Bonap.) is another handsome and allied species, belonging rather to the Pacific fauna. The bill is brownish black ; the head and neck, hind part of back and rump, are beautiful greenish blue ; fore part of the back, scapulars, wings, and tail, brownish black, the feathers with blue margins ; a conspicuous white band on the wings ; on the fore part of the breast a broad band of brownish red ; the sides, lower wing coverts, and tibial feathers, bluish gray ; lower parts white. The female is far less brilliant, a grayish tint prevailing in most parts of the plumage. It is rather a shy bird, with a lively and pleasing song. Another beautiful species is the S. cyanea (Bonap.), which will be noticed under INDIGO BIRD. The last finch which will be mentioned belongs to the subfamily of pyrrhulince, and to the ge- nus carpaducus (Kaup). The purple finch (G. pvrpureus, Gmel.) is 6 in. long, with 'an ex- tent of wings of 9 in. ; the bill is very robust, conical, bulging, and acute, deep brown above, bluish below; the head, neck, breast, back, and upper tail coverts are of a rich lake color, nearly crimson on the head and neck, and fading into rose color on the abdomen; the fore part of the back is streaked with brown ; the quills, larger coverts, and tail are deep brown margined with red ; a narrow cream- colored band across the forehead close to the bill. The female and young are brownish olive above, with dark brown streaks ; the under parts grayish white, the sides streaked with brown ; quills and tail feathers dark brown with olive margins; a broad white line over the eye, and another from the gape back- ward. In the southern states their flocks are seen from November to April, feeding on the interior of buds, which they husk with great Purple Finch (Carpaducus purpureus). 1. Female. 2. Male. skill; they are usually seen in the morning and at night, darting after insects. Their song is sweet and continued. They are found from Labrador to Louisiana, being replaced on the Pacific coast by the C. Californicus (Baird) and the G. Cassinii (Baird) ; they breed in the north, where they are seen in midwinter in company with crossbills and other hardy birds, feeding on the berries of the evergreens. Their nests have been found in Massachusetts ; the eggs are of an emerald-green color, with a few black dots and streaks near the point, and some purplish blotches. The farmers believe them to be injurious to fruit trees by destroy- ing the blossoms, great numbers of which they pull off. Audubon considers their flesh equal to that of any small bird except the rice bunt- ing. They are sometimes kept in cages and in aviaries, but they do not sing in confinement. Other sparrows and buntings are called finches in different parts of the country, though not belonging to the subfamily of frangillince, and may be found described among the frin- gillidce in works on ornithology. FINCH, Heneage, earl of Nottingham, a Brit- ish statesman and jurist, born in Kent, Dec. 23, 1621, died in London, Dec. 18, 1682. He was educated at Westminster school and at Christchurch college, Oxford, subsequently studied law in the Inner Temple, and rose to great eminence as a lawyer. During the rev- olution he enjoyed general respect and confi- dence. At the restoration he was made solici- tor general, took part in the prosecution of the regicides, of which he wrote a full account, and in 1661 entered parliament as member for the university of Oxford. In 1667 he defended