322 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



yellow not so intense ; the white edgings on wings worn off so there is 

 scarcely a trace of white left. Adult female in summer : much darker than 

 female of tristis, dull greenish yellow on throat instead of bright yellowish 

 green. Young: dark colored. Adult male in winter: similar to tristis, 

 but browner and with much broader wing markings; back dark olive 

 brown ; sides and flanks shaded with brown ; throat bright yellow, shad- 

 ing to dull green on breast and to pure white on belly. Adult female in 

 winter : similar to male, but wings, tail, and throat duller ; bill dusky. 

 Male: length (skins) 4.08-4.82, wing 2.60-2.89, tail 1.70-1.82, bill .39-42. 

 Female: length (skins) 4.28-4.70, wing 2.63-2.72, tail 1.70-1.79, bill 

 .S9-.42. 



Distribution. Pacific coast, from Washington south to Lower Cali- 

 fornia. 



530. Astragalinus psaltria (Say). ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH. 

 Adult male. Ear coverts, and entire upper parts, including wings and 

 tail, black, wings with broad white edgings, 

 tail with most of its feathers extensively 

 white basally ; under parts canary yellow. 

 Adult female : upper parts plain dull olive 

 Fig. 406. Adult male. gree n ; under parts light greenish yellow ; 



head without black ; wings and tail as in male, but black duller, and 

 white more restricted, sometimes obsolete on tail. Young : similar to fe- 

 male, but tinged with buffy, and wing coverts 

 tipped with buff. Immature : crown black, 

 rest of upper parts grading from olive green 

 to solid black on ear coverts and back ; under 

 Fig. 407. Immature male. par ts yellow. 



Distribution. Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, except north- 

 western and extreme southern portions. 

 Nest and eggs like those of tristis. 

 Food. Largely weed seed. 



The fact that psaltria is a long time in acquiring the black dress 

 of the adult male, breeding first in the green-backed immature plu- 

 mage has led to much confusion. The three stages of its develop- 

 ment (1) that in which the ear coverts and back are plain olive, (2) 

 that in which they are olive mixed with black, and (3) that in which 

 they are solid black, were each dignified by a name until enough 

 specimens were collected to demonstrate that the differences were 

 purely those of age. 1 



Another source of confusion regarding psaltria is in its common 

 name, Arkansas Goldfinch, which suggests that it is an eastern 

 bird. The fact is, however, that it was named from its first discov- 

 ery on the Arkansas River in Colorado ! 



In Colorado, Professor Cooke states, it breeds from the Plains to 

 over 9000 feet. It is a late migrant there, scarcely reaching northern 

 Colorado before the middle of June, being a late breeder like the 

 other goldfinches. 



1 See " North American forms of Astragalinus psaltria (Say)." By H. C. Oberholser. 

 Proc. Biol. Soc., Washington, xvi. 113-116, September 30, 1903. 



