23K BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Orchards appear to be the favorite breeding localities of the Gold- 

 finches. Young trees are preferred to old ones, the foliage of the 

 former being denser, and offering greater concealment to the nest. 

 The average size of a number of nests is three inches in diameter 

 by one and a quarter inches in depth. 



"The peculiar feature connected with the nidification of the 

 Goldfinch is the late date at which the nests < are constructed and 

 the eggs deposited. The earliest date at which the eggs accompany- 

 ing the above-mentioned nests were taken, was July 27, the latest 

 August 31, the eggs in both instances being newly laid, and proba- 

 bly the full set. As late as the first week in September I have seen 

 nests with incomplete sets. It was impossible to ascertain with 

 accuracy when the nests were built, but the time can be surmised 

 from the dates given for the eggs. For three successive years the 

 nests and eggs of the Goldfinch were systematically searched for in 

 the same neighborhood; no full nests, however, were ever found 

 prior to the 27th of July, as above stated. This may meet the ob- 

 jection that might be made, that had the eggs been sought for, 

 they would probably have been discovered sooner. From three to 

 six eggs are laid ; four or five is the usual number. They are blu- 

 ish white, with a delicate rosy tinge when fresh." 



Spinus piims (Wils.) 



PINE SISKIN. 



Popular synonyms. Pine Linnet; Pine Goldfinch. 



Fring ilia pinus WILS. Am. Orn. ii, 1810, 133, pi. 17, fig. ]. NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 511. Aur>. 



Orn. Biog. ii, 1834, 455; v, 509, pi. 180. 



Linaria pinus AUD. Synop. 1839, 117; B. Am. iii, 1841, 125, pi. 180. 

 Chrysomitris pinus BP. 1838. BAIKD, B. N. Am. 1858, 425; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 317. 



COUES, Key, 1872, 131; Check List, 1873, No. 148; 2d eel. 1883, No. 212; B. N. W. 1874, 



115.-B. B. & E. Hist, N. Am. B. i, 1874, 480, pi. 22, fig. 16,-EiDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 



1881, No. 185. 

 *iiinus pinus STEJN. Auk. i, 1884, 302. 



HAB. Cold-temperate North America, breeding south to coast of Massachusetts, the 

 Hudson Valley and along the Rocky Mountains to southern Mexico. (Southern breeding 

 limit in Alleghanies undetermined.) In winter migrating, irregularly, over greater por- 

 tion of United States. 



"Sp. CHAR. Tail deeply forked. Above brownish olive. Beneath whitish, every 

 feather streaked distinctly with dusky. Concealed bases of tail-feathers and ctuills, 

 together with their inner edges, sulphur-yellow. Outer edges of quills and tail feathers 

 yellowish green. Two brownish white bands on the wing. Length, 4.75; wing, 3.00; tail, 

 2.20. Sexes alike. Young similar, but the white below tinged with yellow, the upper 

 parts with reddish brown, and there are two pale ochraceous kinds <>n the wing." (If int. 

 X. Am.B.) 



In autumn and winter a reddish brown tinge overspreads the upper parts. 



