'las BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Orchards nppenr to be the favorite breeding locahties of the Gohl- 

 tiiu-hes. Young trees are preferred to old ones, the foliage of tlie 

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

 The average size of a number of nests is thi-ee inches in diameter 

 by one and a quarter inches iii depth. 



"The peculiar feature connected with the niditication of the 

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

 the eggs deposited. The earliest date at wliich 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 sunnised 

 from the dates given for the eggs. For tliree 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 arc blu- 

 ish wliite, with a delicate I'osy tinge when fresh." 



Spinus pinus (Wils.) 



FINE SISKIN. 



Popular synonyms. rincLinnot: Pine Goldfinch, 



r>-ingillai)iiiiis WiLs. Am. Orn. il. 1810. 133, pi. 17. flg. 1.-Nittt. Miin. I. 1832. 511.-.\itd. 

 Orn. Biog. ii, IKM, «.; v, 6(I9, pi. 180. 

 Liuarin pinus AuD. Synop. 1839, 117; B. Am. Hi, 1811, 135, pi. 180. 



CItrusomitris pinus Bp. 1838.— B.\IKI., B. X. Am. 18,M. 425; Cat. N. Am. B. 1889. No. 317.— 

 CouES. Key. 187-2, i;il ; Check List. 187,). Xo. 1-18; l!d (.-(I. 1883. Xo. ili: B. X. W. 1874, 

 11,'>.-B. B. & B. Hist. X. Am. B. i. 1874. 480. pi, 22. fljr. Iti.-KiDow. Xom. X. Am, B. 

 _ 1881, No. 185. 

 .^piiius piiiusfSTEia. \»]i. i, 1884, 382. 



Has. Cold-tcmpcrati' Xorth America. brcodliiK t»outh to coast of Massachiisctt.i. the 

 lludsoii Valley and along the Koeky Moiiutnins to southern Mexico. iSouthern breedlnc 

 limit in AlledhaMios nndetermlncd.) In winter miRrating, irroRularly, over Bfentor por- 

 tion of United States. 



"8p. Char. Tall deeply forked. Above brownish olive. Beneath whitish, every 

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

 toKether with their inner edcos, sulphur-yellow. Outer edttes of quills and tail feathers 

 yellowish Kreen. Two brownish white bands on the wing. Longth. 4.75; wing, 3.00; tail. 

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

 parts with reddish brown, and there are two pale ochraceons bands on the wing." {Ili.it. 

 X. Am. B.) 



In autumn and winter u reddisli brown tinge overspreads the upper parts. 



