AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 



YELLOW BIRD. ITHISTLE BIRD. THISTLE FINCH. WILD 

 CANARY. 



Spinus tristis. 



Char. Male in summer : bright gamboge yellow ; crown, wings, and 

 tail black ; upper and undev tail-coverts, wing and tail markings, white. 

 In winter the male resembles the female, though with less olive tint. 

 Female : above, olive brown ; below, paler or yellowish ; forehead with- 

 out black ; wings and tail much the same as in the male. Length about 

 4^ inches. 



Nest. In a pasture or orchard ; usually placed in a crotch of a decidu- 

 ous tree lo to 20 feet from the ground ; a compact and gracefully formed 

 cup, made of grass and vegetable fibre, lined with grass and plant down, 

 and often with hair. 



Eggs. 3-6 ; white with tint of green or greenish blue, occasionally 

 marked with faint spots of brown ; 0.65 X 0.50. 



This common, active, and gregarious Goldfinch is a very- 

 general inhabitant of the United States. It is also found in 

 summer in the remote interior of Canada, in the fur countries 

 and near Lake Winnipique, in the 49th degree of latitude, as 

 well as in the remote territory of Oregon and the Rocky 

 Mountains, on the banks of Lewis's River, where I found the 

 nest as usual with white eggs. On the other hand, it is also 

 met with in Mexico, and even in Guiana and Surinam in trop- 

 ical America, where it frequents the savannas. Although 

 many of these birds which spend the summer here leave at 

 the approach of winter, yet hungry flocks are seen to arrive in 



