226 FRINGILLID^ : FINCHES. 



AMERICAN GOLDFINCH ; THISTLE-BIRD ; 

 YELLOW-BIRD. 



ASTRAGALINUS TRISTIS {Linjt.) Cab. 



Chars. Male in summer: Clear bright yellow, whitening on the 

 tail-coverts ; the head with a black cap ; the wings and tail black, 

 the former edged and crossed, the latter spotted, with white ; lesser 

 wing-coverts yellow; bill and feet flesh-colored. Male, from Sep- 

 tember to the following April : The yellow replaced by flaxen- 

 brown, paler or whitish below, the black cap wanting. Female : 

 Like the winter male, but more of an olivaceous shade above, and 

 soiled yellowish below; no black cap; wings _and tail merely 

 dusky instead of black, with whitish markings. Length nearly 

 or about 4.75 ; extent, 8.00; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.00, forked. 



This is one of our common and familiar birds, of gay 

 colors, sweet song, agreeable presence, and innocent, 

 engaging habits — altogether quite worthy of the favor 

 with which it is regarded by all. Tiiough giving the 

 impression of a delicate bird, like other brightly plu- 

 maged species which bring, as it were, suspicion of 

 tropical luxury to our stricter climate, the Thistle-bird 

 is really quite a hardy little creature, capable of taking 

 a New England winter as it comes, anywhere in the 

 Alleghanian Fauna. Those which are reared north 

 of this retire in the fall, but from Massachusetts south- 

 ward the flaxen-haired troops of these child-like 

 Finches remain all the year round, describing in the 

 storm the same smooth wavy line of flight that marks 

 their rising to the summer breeze, lisping meanwhile 

 their gentle thoughts no less contentedly than when 

 they take the gold and jet from the lavish hand of 

 spring. When pairing time comes, the Yellow-birds 

 dissociate ; leaving the patches of thistle and waste 



