386 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Genus ASTRAGALINUS Cab. 



529. Astragalmus tristis (Linn.). American Goldfinch; 

 Wild Canary; Thistle Bird; Yellow Bird; Lettuce Bird. 



Plumage of adult male in summer : cap on crown, wings and tail black ; 

 wing coverts and secondaries white tipped and tail feathers white on inner 

 edge ; back and under parts pure yellow. Plumage of adult female : black 

 crown cap lacking ; upper parts grayish brown ; below whitish with buff y 

 brown suffusion and yellowish washing on throat ; wings and tail somewhat 

 duller colored but much as in male. Adult male in winter : differs chiefly 

 from adult female in the wings and tail being deeper black with stronger 

 white tips to the coverts and secondaries and edgings to tail feathers. Im- 

 matirre plumage : tips to wing coverts and secondaries more cinnamon col- 

 ored ; plumage browner, suffused with cinnamon, otherwise much like 

 female. Wing 2.75 ; culmen 0.42. 



Geog. Dist. — Breeding from Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas 

 and North Dakota northward to Manitoba and Labrador ; wintering from the 

 northern United States southward to the Gulf of Mexico. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; common summer resident, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook ; resident, not especially common but generally occurring, 

 (Knight). Cumberland ; common resident, (Mead). Franklin ; common sum- 

 mer resident, sometimes in winter, (Lee and McLain); resident nearly every 

 year, (Sweet). Hancock; summer resident, (Murch); occasional at least in 

 winter, (Knight). Kennebec; common resident, (Gardiner Branch). Knox; 

 summer, (Rackliff). Oxford ; common, breeds, (Nash). Penobscot ; common 

 summers, leads a roving existence winters, (Knight). Piscataquis ; common, 

 often resident, (Homer). Sagadahoc; common summer resident, (Spinney). 

 Somerset ; common resident, (Morrell). Waldo ; common summer resident, 

 roving winter resident, (Knight). Washington ; abundant, breeds, (Board- 

 man). York; breeds, (Adams). 



The species is commonly and generally observed throughout 

 the State from May until October, though occurring more 

 rarely at other seasons. In the winter they lead a roving exist- 

 ence in small flocks, being likely to occur almost anywhere in 

 the State, either in small bands by themselves or associated 

 with Siskins, Redpolls and their allies. They fly through the 

 air with an undulating billow-like motion, generally crying 

 "chee-chee-chee-chee" or "per-chick-a-wee." In the proper sea- 

 son the male sings loudly and joyously in much the same gen- 

 eral style as the tame canary, though with a freeness which is 



