236 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Spinus tristis (Linn.) 



AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 



Popular synonyms. Yellow-bird; Lettuce-bird; Salad-bird; Thistle-bird; Black-winged 

 Yelkm-bird; Black-capped Yellow-bird. 



Fringilla tristis LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i.1758, 181; ed. 12, i, 1766 320. WILS. Am. Orn. i, 1808, 



20, pi. 1, flg. 2. AUD. Orn. Biog. i, 1831, 172; v, 510, pi. 33. Nurr. Man. i, 1832, 507. 

 Carduelis tristis BP. 1825. AUD. Synop. 1839, 116; B. Am. hi 1841, 129, pi. 181. 

 Chrysomitris tristis BP. 1838. BATED, B. N. Am. 1858. 421; Cat N. Am. B. 1859, No. 313. 

 COUES, Key, 1872, 131; Check List, 1873, No. 149; B. N. W. 1874, 116. B. B. & R. Hist. 

 N. Am. B. i, 1874, 471, pi. 22 flgs. 7,8. 

 Astragalinus tristis CAB. Mus. Hein. 1851, 159. RIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 181. 



COUES, 2d Check List, 1882, No. 213. 

 Spinus tristis STEJN. Auk, i. 1884, 362. 



HAB. Whole of temperate North America, breeding nearly throughout its range. 

 "Sp. CHAB. Male. Bright gamboge-yellow; crown, wings, and tail black. Lesser 

 wing-coverts, band across the end of greater ones, ends of secondaries and tertiaries, 

 inner margins of tail-feathers, upper and under tail-coverts and tibia white. Length, 

 5.25 inches; wing, 3.00. Female. Yellowish gray above; greenish yellow below. No 

 black on forehead. Wing and tail much as in the male. Young. Reddish olive above; 

 fulvous yellow below, two broad bands across coverts and broad edges to last half of 

 secondaries pale rufous. 



"In winter the yellow is replaced by a yellowish brown; the black of the crown want- 

 ing, that of wings and tail browner. The throat is generally yellowish; the under parts 

 ashy brown passing behind into white." (Hist. N. Am. .) 



Found abundantly throughout temperate North America, familiar 

 in habits, and conspicuous in plumage, it is no wonder that the 

 American Goldfinch is one of our best known birds. Known famil- 

 iarly as Yellow-bird, Lettuce-bird, or Garden-bird, he is present 

 with us at all seasons of the year, although there are many times 

 when none are to be seen. In the fall the male loses his beautiful 

 lemon-yellow plumage and assumes a sombre garb like that of the 

 female, which he wears until the succeeding spring, when the rich 

 colors of summer are resumed very gradually, the change commenc- 

 ing in April and continuing until the summer is at hand, before all 

 traces of the winter dress are lost. The Goldfinch is one of the 

 latest of our birds to commence breeding, it being usually after the 

 first of July, in the more eastern States,* before their nests are con- 

 structed; and some broods of young first leave their nest in Sep- 

 tember. This late breeding, as Dr. Brewer suggests, is probably due 

 to the scarcity of proper food for the young during the early part 

 of summer. 



* At Sacramento, California, however, I found this species breeding very abundantly 

 during the month of June, nests with fresh eggs being taken from the 6th to the 28th of 

 the month. 



