NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 291 



migrant. It comes south from its breeding grounds in high lati- 

 tudes, often in company with Pine Grosbeaks and Crossbills, but is 

 so erratic in its movements that its appearance cannot be relied upon. 

 It breeds occasionally in Northern New England; also in Nova Scotia, 

 Newfoundland, and commonly in Labrador and all the Fur Countries. 

 Dr. Stejneger says that this form of the Redpoll seems to be the common 

 breeding bird on the mainland of Kamtschatka, where he took a very 

 young specimen near Petropaulski on the 4th of July. He does not 

 think that this species breeds on the islands, as none were met with 

 from the end of May until the beginning of November. 



The bird's general habits are very similar to those of the American 

 Goldfinch. The nest is built in trees and bushes, is bulky, made of 

 twigs and grasses, with generally a warm lining of feathers. 



A set of six eggs in Mr. Norris' cabinet were taken May 14, 1885, 

 near L,oughboro, England. Their ground-color is bluish-green, speckled 

 chiefly at the larger ends with burnt umber ; sizes .62 x .49, .65 x .47, 

 .60 x .45, .62 x .49, .64 x .48, .64 x .47. The average size is .67 x .48. 



529. Spinus tristis. (LINN.) [181.] 



American Goldfinch. 



Hab. Whole of temperate North America, resident. 



Thistle-bird, Yellow-bird, Lettuce-bird, and " Wild Canary " are 

 the names commonly applied to this species. It is distributed through- 

 out North America generally, and breeds southward to the middle dis- 

 tricts. In the United States it is a well known bird ; its conspic- 

 uous bright colors, peculiar, undulating flight, and its plaintive, lisping 

 notes are familiar to even the casual observer. 



It nests when most other birds are through breeding in some 

 localities, however, as early as June 15, but usually in July, or when 

 the thistle-down begins to float on the breeze, in August and Septem- 

 ber. Exceptionally, nests with eggs have been found in May. The 

 nest is a beautiful, compact, felted mass of vegetable fibres, moss, 

 grasses, leaves, fine strips of bark, lined with plant down, and the nests 

 that are built late enough in the season usually have a thick lining of 

 thistle-down. It is placed in all kinds of trees and bushes, ranging 

 from three to forty feet above the ground. Willows, maples, and 

 orchard trees seems to be favorite nesting sites, and not infrequently 

 it is found built in the tops of thistle plants.* 



* Mr. Walter E. Bryant records the following unusual nesting place of the American Goldfinch as ob- 

 served by Mr. A. M. Ingersoll, in California: " In 1884 a grove of young willows that had been occupied the 

 previous season by a colony of tri-colored blackbirds, was found deserted by them. Many of the blackbirds' 

 nests still remained in forks of the willows from four to ten feet above the marsh. Six of these old nests 

 were in possession of American Goldfinches. The present tenants had loosely filled the nests about one-half 

 full of cat-tail down, and had formed only a slight hollow for the nest proper. Some were found with eggs, 

 and in others there were 'birds in last year's nests.' " 



