AMERICAN FINCHES. 31 



some time beside Canary birds will pick up their 

 notes. His own natural notes bear a resem- 

 blance to the European Goldfinch, but they are 

 inferior in tone, feebler, and more concise ; in 

 his habits he is the same, and is fond of the same 

 food. They are fond of the seeds of the thistle. 

 In districts where the thistle abounds in Europe, 

 so does the Goldfinch, and where that plant is 

 found in the United States, there you will find 

 the American Goldfinch. If his transatlantic 

 brother has a richer dress, he has the advantage 

 of him, by having two a summer dress and a 

 winter one. On the approach of winter, the male 

 puts off his beautiful lemon yellow color, and 

 black wings and tail, and dons the sober olive- 

 brown of the female, and in spring resumes it 

 again. They are easily reconciled to confine- 

 ment, and will sing a short time after being 

 caught. 



FOOD. They are very fond of hemp seed. I 

 feed them one part hemp and part Canary seed ; 

 a blade of lettuce or a bit of ripe apple is bene- 

 ficial. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEXES. - The male in 

 summer, is easily distinguished from the female ; 



