AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. YELLOWBIRD. THISTLEBIRD. 
Spinus tristis. 
In Summer the body is bright yellow, shading to white towards 
the tail; crown black; wings black, some of the feathers edged with 
white ; tail the same, slightly forked ; bill and feet flesh-color. 
In Fall it loses the black on the crown, and the yellow of the body 
becomes brownish-olive above, grayish-white below, tinged with 
yellow. Length, 5.10 inches. 
Resident. Nests in trees or tall bushes. Flight undulatory. It has several plaintive 
calls and a song of considerable length but of little power, which is suggestive of the 
canary. 
Care must be taken not to confound the American Goldfinch with the Summer Yellow- 
bird. The two birds are not sufficiently similar in appearance to make this caution 
needful, but verbal confusion does sometimes occur, because one of the popular names of 
the American Goldfinch is Yellowbird, while the most commonly used name of the Yellow 
Warbler is Summer Yellowbird. It would be well if the example of the A. O. U. Check- 
