342 Birds of Colorado 



Greater Redpoll. Acanthis linaria rostrata. 



A.O.U. Checklist no o28b — Colorado Records — Cooke 97, p. 165 ; 

 Henderson 09, p. 236. 



Description. — Closely resembling A. linaria, but larger (wing of male 

 averaging 3-15), and bill stouter and longer (cvilmen about 40), but 

 with the same changes of plvunage. 



Distribution. — Breeding and resident in Greenland ; southwards in 

 winter to Massachusetts and northern Illinois. The only Colorado 

 specimen known was obtained by Mr. W. A. Sprague on December 9tli, 

 1895, near Magnolia in Boulder co., at about 7,500 feet. 



Genus ASTRAGALINUS. 



Small Finches with rather slender, acute and compressed bills, and 

 with the nostrils concealed by nasal pltimes ; wings long and pointed ; 

 tail from -6 to -7 of the wing, strongly emarginate ; tarsus shorter 

 than the middle toe and claw ; plumage not streaky ; males with 

 yellow, no red. 



This genus, consisting of three species divided into some ten sub- 

 species, is confined to North and Central America. 



KJEY OF THE Species. 



A. Upper and under tail-coverts white or whitish. 



a. Smaller ; wing of male averaging 2-75 ; yellow of male richer. 



A. tristis, p. 342. 



b. Larger ; wing of male averaging 3 -0 ; yellow of male paler. 



A. t. pallidas, p. 344. 



B. Upper tail-coverts dusky or greenish, lower yellow. 

 s. Crown black. 



a* Back olive-green. A. psaltria, $ p. 344. 



b* Back oUve-green and black intermingled. 



A. p. arizonae, $ p. 345. 



c* Back black like the crown. A. p. mexicana, <? p. 346. 



b. Crown green like the back. A. psaltria, ? p. 344. 



American Goldfinch. Astragalinus tristis. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 529 — Colorado Records — Allen 72, p. 149 ; 

 Aiken 72, p. 199 ; Henshaw 75, p. 243 ; Drew 81, p. 90 ; 85, p. 16 ; 

 Allen & Brewster 83, p. 161 ; Beckham 85, p. 141 ; 87, p. 124 ; Morrison 

 88, p. 73 ; 89, p. 38 ; Cooke 97, p. 98 ; Henderson 03, p. 236 ; 09, 

 p. 236 ; Warren 08, p. 23 ; 09, p. 16. 



(Some of these records doubtless apply to A. t. pallida.) 

 Description. — Male in summer — General colour above and below 

 bright lemon-yellow ; crown, wings and tail black ; tips of the middle- 

 and greater-coverts, edges of most of the remiges and tail-feathers. 



