CHRYSOMITRIS TRISTIS. 473 



GENUS m. CHRYSOMITRIS. THE GOLDFINCHES. 



Ge.'T. Cn. Bi/l, small, and pointed. Wings, long. Tail, forked. Coracoids, shorter than the top of keel, which is but 

 little higher than one half the width of sternum. Size, small. 



Al' the species within our limits are more or less conspicuoasly colored with yellow, excepting pinus which has also 

 pale-yellow markings on the wings and tail. 



CHRYSOMITRIS TRISTIS. 

 Common American Goldfinch. 

 Chrysomilris tristis Bon., List, 1836. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rather robust. Tongue, quite thick, tipped with hair-like, homy fibers. Sternum as given above. 



Color. Adult male in spring. Bright lemon-yellow. Top of head,wings and tail, black. Lesser wing coverts, tips of 

 ffreater, forming bars, outer edges of secondaries, tips of primaries, elongated spots on inner webs of terminal portion of 

 tail fjathers, upper and under tail coverts and under wing coverts, white. 



Adult female in spring. Greenish-lirown, above and yellowish-green, beneath. The wings and tail are brown, marked 

 ■>,'itli white, which is more restricted than in the male, and is frequently of a smoky tinge. 



Adult male in winter. Similar to the Spring female above but smoky-white beneath, with the front and sides of the 

 head, shoulders, and rump, more or le'ss tinged with yellow. The white markings are broader and more extended. 



Adult female in winter. Similar to the male but grayer above and inclined to be reddish-brown on the rump and lower 

 back, while the yellowish is .scarcely perceptible. 



Young. Summer males of the preceding year exhibit a grayisli patch, of a greater or less extent, on the upper back. 

 There are frequontly a few greenish feathers in the black of the head. The females of the same age are more reddish above. 



Young of the year. Both sexes are highly tinged, above and below, with reddkh-brown; while the white markings of 

 the wings and tail are replaced by this rusty color. 



Nestlings. Do not differ from the above, excepting that the throat is destitute of feathers long after the other portion-ij 

 lif tlic Ijody are covered. Contrary to the rule, even in this Family, nestlings do not moult the first autumn. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is m dilBfulty in recognizing this species in the adult stage, and the young may always be distinguished by the 

 wing and tail markings as given. There is no species which has come under my observation where there is absolutely so 

 littb variation as in the present. In a series of some eighty summer skins, now before me, tiie yellow varies slightly in 

 •tliadc, but this is partly due to age. The black of the head is also more restricted in some than in others, aside from these 

 slight modifications, however, there is a singular unifonuity of coloration; while in winter there is but little more variation. 

 A \cry largo specimen from Utah, in the bright plumage of early summer, has the Ijlack of the head less extended tlian 

 asual, which together with its uncommon sfee gives it a peculiar appearance. Late in summer the wear of tlie white edges 

 cauKes tliem to appear lilacker tlian earlier in the season. The adults undergo an entire change of plumage in the autumn, 

 l)ut in spring the faathers of the wings and tail are retained while the remainder of the body acquires a new dress. It is 

 notewortl:y that th.is is the only species among Fringilline birds, which I have examined, that is not streaked beneath in 

 some staga of plumage, but I cannot find any indication of those markings even in the nestlings where they usually ap- 

 pear in ^■peci^s which are unmarked when adult. 



Distriliuted in summer throughout northern and middle North America; winters in the middle and southern portioas. 

 Tlic northern range, during winter, varies .somewhat in difibrent seasons, being governed by the supply of food, which is 

 largely regulated by the depth of snow. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements rf twenty-four specimens. Length, 5'00; stretch, O-O."); wing, 285; tail, r85; bill, "48; tarsus 

 •45. Longest specimen, fl-OO; greatest extent of wing, 9-50; longest wing, 3-00; tail,2'07; bill, '50; tarsus, '57. Shortest 

 specinien, 4'75; smallest extent of wing, 8'75; shortast wing. 2"60; tail, TOO; bill, '45; tarsus, '40. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees. They are compact structures composed outwardly of fibrous bark, leaves, weeds, and thistle 

 down. Tliey arc oftcner smootldy lined with silvery-white thistle down than with any other material, when they present a 

 very pretty appearance, but .sp,i( imcns lief )re me vary in being lined with fine roots, liorse hair, or forn cottim. Three .^rc 

 partly compnsed cf common cotton, wliib one has mgs and string nsatly woven into the external portion. Dimensions; ex- 

 ternal diasneter, 3-00, internal. 2-00. External deiith, 2-25 interniil, 1-25. 



^j;;s, four in uuiiilier oval in form, pale bluish-grccn in color unspotted, in all that I have examined. Dimon.sion.s 

 fr.-:a •C5x-50 to ^OxSS. 



CIEDS or TLORIDA. 12 



