Redpoll 343 



and the whole of the tail-coverts white ; iris brown, bill orange, 

 tipped black, legs light brown. Length 4-5; wing 2-75; tail 1-90; 

 culmen -40 ; tarsus -SO. 



The male in winter is a dull brown above, becoming dull grey on the 

 rump ; wing and tail as in the breeding male, but with white edgings 

 and tips ; below very pale brown, becoming white posteriorly, washed 

 with yellow more or less anteriorly ; bill horn-coloured. 



The female is like the male in winter, but is smaller (wing 2-65) ; the 

 yoimg bird is Uke the female, but the white markings of the wings and 

 tail are tinged with pale rusty. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America to the base of the Rocky 

 Moimtains from southern Labrador and Manitoba to the Gulf coast. 



In Colorado the prevalent form of the Goldfinch is the eastern typical 

 subspecies ; it is a resident chiefly in the plains and foothills, though its 

 numbers are largely reinforced in summer by migrants. It breeds 

 from the plains up to 7,000 feet, rarely up to 10,000, and its move- 

 ments are irregular. 



The following are recorded localities : Boulder co., wintering in valley 

 and nesting on Gold Hill (Gale) ; near Denver, El Paso co, January to 

 May, Limon, May, and Pueblo, November (Aiken) ; Salida, winter and 

 sununer (Frey). 



Habits. — Goldfinches are found in flocks throughout 

 the greater part of the year, and very often associate 

 with Pine-Linnets and other species ; they wande 

 about in rather an irregular manner and feed on small 

 seeds, especially those of the thistle ; they have a plain- 

 tive, lisping song. The nesting date varies somewhat, 

 but fresh eggs are usually to be met with at the end 

 of June or beginning of July. Dennis Gale found two 

 nests on July 31st, one of which contained five young 

 birds, while the other was only just completed, and was 

 still empty. The former one was placed in a box alder 

 about seven feet up, saddled on an outer branch ; it 

 was composed of wool on the outside, grass for the middle, 

 while the lining was of cotton and thistle down. 

 The eggs, usually four or five in number, are faintly 

 bluish-white, and normally unmarked ; they measure 

 •65 X -50. 



