I04 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



is very common in Germany, where he remains 

 during the winter. It does not, however con- 

 fine itself to one place, but flies about in search 

 of food. This bird is 4^ inches in length, of 

 which the tail measures I }( inches. The beak 

 is 4 lines in length, and contracted towards the 

 point, which is very sharp. The tip is brown; 

 the rest light gray, except in winter, when it 

 becomes white. The shanks are 7 lines in 

 height, and, with the claws, brown. The top 

 of the head and throat are black; the neck, 

 cheeks, and back, green; the latter speckled 

 with black. The rump, as well as a stripe be- 

 tween the eyes, the under part of the neck, 

 and the breast, are greenish yellow; the belly, 

 vent and groin, whitish yellow; the two last 

 being covered with black spots. 



The pen feathers are black, bordering with 

 yellowish green on the outer plume, and after 

 the fourth, have a yellow spot near the root. 

 The lesser wing coverts are green; the larger 

 edged with yellow, which produces stripes of 

 the same color. The tail is forked; yellow 

 near the root, and the rest — with the whole of 

 the two center feathers — black. 



The plumage of the female is in general 

 paler; the head and back are grayer, and are 

 spotted with black; the throat and the sides are 

 whitish; the breast and the neck white, marked 

 with green and black; the feet grayish brown. 



The male generally loses the black of the 

 throat in the second year; and for the most 

 part, the older he is, the greener, yellower, and 

 therefore handsomer, he becomes. 



In summer the siskin feeds on the seeds of 

 the fir and pine and on leaf lice, it will 

 effectually clear every tree, vine or shrub of 

 this pest, not a leaf will escape its notice. In 

 autumn, on the hop thistle and burdock; and 

 in winter, on the alder. The siskin prefers to 

 build its nest in forests of pine or fir, and 

 places its nest on the highest bough of one of 

 these trees, or sometimes on the branch of the 

 alder. It is fastened to the branch with spider 

 webs, coral moss, and threads from the cocoons 

 o: various insects, and is cleverly constructed 



of these materials, woven together with jmall 

 twigs, and lined with very fine roots. The 

 female generally lays five or six eggs, of a gray- 

 ish white, thickly spotted, especially at the 

 large end, with purple brown. There are two 

 broods in a year. The males increase in 

 beauty until their fourth moulting. 



Tlie siskin is an attractive bird, in regard 

 lioih to its plumage and its song. It imitates 

 the 'iong of other birds. It sings throughout 

 the year, except during the moulting season; 

 aiid by its continual twittering, invites all birdg 

 to sing. Its song is not unpleasant; it bears 

 some resemblance to that of the canary, but it 

 is less powerful — it is soft, sweet, and various. 



March, September and October are their 

 wandering months, and in their wanderings 

 they make their appearance in flocks. It 

 bleeds freely with the canary, and the young 

 bastard males will make excellent singers. 

 THE BULLFINCH Pyrrhich vuli^aris, 

 [Der Gimpel oJer Dompfaff.) ■ 



Of these handsome song-birds, 20 pairs were 

 introduced into Oregon by the ' Society in 

 1889 and 1892. 



This favorite bird is, like most of the family 

 10 which it belong?, somewhat thick in pro- 

 portion to its length, which is 6^ inches, of 

 which the tail measures 2% inches. The 

 l)eak is half an iuch long, 'black, short, and 

 ihick; the iris is cheastnut brown; the feet 

 weak and black; the shanks 8 lines high. The 

 top of the head, the circle round the beak, the 

 chin, and upper part of the throat are a shining 

 velvety black'. The throat, back, and shoiilders 

 are a dark gray; the rump beautifully while; 

 the breast and the upper part of the belly a 

 beautiful crimson, which grows darker as the 

 biid advances in age. The remaining 

 portion of the lower part of the body is white. 



The pen feathers are blackish, and darker in 

 proportion as they are near the body; the 

 hindmost being externally bordered with steel 

 blue, and the last having the outer plume red. 

 The larger wing coverts are a glittering black, 

 tipped with reddish gray; the center, an ashen 



