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GENUS CARDUELIS — CUVIER 



GOLDFINCH. 



[Bill short, stout, conic, points acute — nostrils concealed with feathers, space 

 between broad — head rather small, roundish — neck short — body rather full — 

 wings rather long — tail emarginate — tarsi rather short — toes slender, hind toe 

 strongest — claws compressed, acute.] 



CARDUELIS TRISTIS— LINN. 



AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 



American Goldfinch, Fringilla tristis, Wils. Amer. Orn. 



Fringilla trislris, Bonap. Syn. 



Carduelis Americana (Edwards) American Goldfinch, Sw. & Rich. 



Yellow Bird, or American Goldfinch, Nult. Man. 



American Goldfinch, Fringilla tristris, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Wings and their coverts black, margined and 

 tipped with white ; tail also black, the inner webs of the feathers 

 toward their ends largely spotted with white. Adult male, in 

 summer, with the upper part of the head, wings, and tail black, 

 the inner quills margined with white — secondary coverts tipped 

 with the same ; tail emai'ginale ; a patch of white on the inner 

 webs of all the feathers ; lower tail coverts white ; rest parts bright 

 yellow. Female without the black on the head ; upper parts 

 brownish-olive, darker on the back ; lower parts grayish-yellow, 

 lighter on the abdomen. Male in winter similar to the female. 

 Length four inches and a half, wing two and seven-eighths. 



