Vol. XIX j DwiGHT, Variations of the American Goldfijich. ^49 



recognized as the Tufted Titmouse. I lieard intermittently for about a 

 quarter of an hour the series of notes, which sound like petel-you, p'etel- 

 you, petel-you, but did not succeed in getting sight of the singer. Wishing 

 to confirm what I considered a rare find for Long Island, I returned the 

 next day. The bird was still there and singing, and without much trouble, 

 by imitating the song, I coaxed him out of the thicket into plain sight. 

 No doubt existed in my mind as to the identification, as I am familiar 

 with the songs of the bird and its appearance in life. Giraud in his ' Birds 

 of Long Island' (1844), wrote as though Parus bicolor were common 

 at that time. It is also included in Lawrence's ' List.' But one specimen, 

 bearing no date, is extant in the Long Island Historical Society's collection 

 (Butcher, Auk, X, 1893, p. 277). I consider it a very rare straggler 

 on Long Island. 



INDIVIDUAL, SEASONAL, AND GEOGRAPHICAL 

 VARIATIONS OF THE AMERICAN GOLD- 

 FINCH (ASTRAGALINUS TRISTIS). 



BY JONATHAN DWIGHT, JR., M. D. 



Lines of least resistance are those most naturally followed, and 

 there is perhaps no line of ornithological investigation easier than 

 discovering differences of color and size that can always be seen 

 in series of skins laid out before our eyes. But, heretofore, the 

 tendency has been to look for geographical variations, and con- 

 sequently almost every North American species has been gradually 

 split up irito geographical races as fast as enough specimens from 

 one part of the country have been gathered for comparison with 

 those from another. Major differences have already been recog- 

 nized and we now seem to be fast approaching a point where indi- 

 vidual variation is likely to prove greater than the minor differences, 

 that pass as subspecific characters. When these consist only of 

 slight variations in depth of color and millimeter differences in 

 dimension, it is indeed a wise describer that knows his own race 

 when the labels of locality are removed. My contention is that 

 unless these geographical variations are appreciably greater than 

 those common to the species there is small reason for ' splitting,' 

 however much this may redound to the describer. I believe, too, 



