FEBRUARY IN BERKELEY 



of sparrows. In the first place It is decidedly smaller than its 

 more familiar relatives. Moreover, its plumage is of rather un- 

 usual coloration for this family, olive-green on the back and 

 golden yellow upon the breast, with a black cap to give it a 

 more jaunty appearance. 



At this season it is not in full plumage, the colors being 

 subdued, in the female especially, to an olive-brownish, with 

 but a suggestion of its gaudy summer attire. When in full dress 

 the wmgs and tail are black with conspicuous patches of white 

 upon them; but we shall meet this little fellow again in the 

 summer-time, when the air is mild, and his throat is bubbling 

 over with song. At present he is not interested in love-making 

 or anything else more romantic than getting a good living of 

 dried seeds, and his note is only a high, plaintive titter. 



While the green-backed goldfinch is confined exclusively to 

 the western states, from the Rocky Mountains to the coast, it 

 has two near relatives, also with us during the winter-time, 

 which are of more universal distribution— the American gold- 

 finch and the pine-finch. The former, as its name implies, is 

 found over the greater part of North America, but. while it is 

 one of the most abundant of eastern birds, it is much restricted 

 in distribution in California. About Berkeley it is found only 

 occasionally, when flocks pay us a passing visit. It is somewhat 

 larger than the green-backed goldfinch, and habitually utters 

 the plaintive note which has given it the Latin name, Astraga- 

 linus iristis. In summer its plumage is all golden except the 

 head, wings and tail, which are black, but at this season the 

 colors are changed to brown upon the back and dull whitish 

 on the breast. 



Especially interesting to me are the flocks of pine-finches 



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