NESTS AND EGGS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 45 



shades; four or five in number, and measure .65 by .52. The nest of the 

 Redpoll is built in low trees and bushes; it is made of moss, grass, and 

 catkins of willow and lined with vegetable down. Breeds in the far north. 



Hab. Northern regions of both Hemispheres, ranging irregularly southward in winter to the Middle 

 States, and the same latitudes in the West. 



181. American Goldfinch — astragalinus tristis. Bluish white, un- 

 spotted, sharply pointed at one end; they are from four to six in number, 

 size .65 by .50. The Thistle-bird, or Yellow bird, as it is often called, 

 builds its nest usually by the roadside in a shade tree or, as we often find 

 it, in a neglected field. It is a beautifully felted mass of vegetable fibres, 

 moss, grasses, leaves, fine strips of bark, and lined with plant down, 

 usually the down of the thistle. This bird generally breeds late in the 

 season, from middle of June to middle of August, according to locality. 



It is also called " Lettuce Bird." Hab. North America generally. 



182. Green-backed Goldfinch — astragalinus psaltria. Greenish- 

 white, sharply pointed at one end; four or five; size .60 by .50. Nests 

 built in forks of trees, same as those of the common Goldfinch. Rocky 

 Mountain and Arkansas Goldfinch are two other names for this bird. 



Hab. Southern Rocky Mountains to the coast of California; north to Salt Lake City. 



182rt'. Arizona Goldfinch — astragalinus psaltria Arizona. Eggs 

 same color as those of the preceding, but slightly smaller, and the nidifi- 

 cation is essentially the same as that of the Green-backed. Hab. Arizona. 



182/;. Mexican Goldfinch — astragalinus psaltria mexicanus. Simi- 

 lar to the eggs of Lawrence's Goldfinch, and the nesting habits are also 

 similar. This bird is also known by the name of Black Goldfinch. 



Hab. Mexican side of the valley of the Rio Grande, southward. 



183. Lawrence's Goldfinch — astragalinus lawrencei. Pure white; 

 four to five in number and measure .63 by .45 . Common throughout the 

 greater portion of California, Arizona and New Mexico. The nest of this 

 bird is usually placed near the extremity of the limb of a live oak, well 

 concealed and hard to find. It is composed of wool, fine grasses, down 

 and feathers, lined with hair. The nest is made sometimes entirely with 



grasses. Hab. California, Arizona and New Mexico. 



185. Pine Goldfinch — chrysomitris pinus. Light green, spotted 

 chiefly at the larger end with markings of a light rusty-brown ; oblong- 

 oval; usually four in number, size .70 by . 50. The eggs are said to re- 

 semble those of the Red-polls' more than Goldfinches'. The Pine Linnet, 

 or American Siskin, breeds throughout the British Provinces, Northern 

 Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, thence to 

 Washington Territory, in all the evergreen forests. The nest is usually 



