110 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 



of the apple-blossoiii ; also eats a few insects; but gen- 

 erally feeds upon seeds. The plumage of the male of 

 the first, second, and third years is gray like the female; 

 on the fourth year it assumes the brighter male plumage. 

 Both sexes sing, the females not as loud as the males,, 

 however. 



67. Astragalinus tristis, CAB. Goldfinch, " Yellow- 

 Bird," "Thistle-Bird." Abundant resident; gregarious in 

 winter. Breeds late in June. 



68. Chrysomitris pinus, BON. Pine Linnet, Pine 

 Finch. Another irregular winter visitor, whose move- 

 ments are regulated by the supply of food, but in a differ- 

 ent manner from P. Canadensis ; it feeds upon the seeds- 

 of weeds a great deal during winter ; in fact, they form its- 

 principal supply of food after the seeds of the birch are 

 exhausted. When the snow is deep in the region north of 

 Massachusetts, and covers the weeds to such a depth that 

 they are not exposed, then we have a visit from this bird. 

 It was very numerous during the winter of 1859-60^ 

 remaining until quite late ; after that time I did not meet 

 with it until the winter of 1868-69, when it was quite 

 common ; it remained until the last week in May. Its 

 nest has been found at Cambridge. 



69. JEgiothus linarius, CAB. Red-Poll, Lesser Red- 

 Poll Linnet. Irregular in its visits, and governed by the 

 same laws as the preceding, with the exception that it is- 

 a more restless species. Common all the seasons that the 

 preceding have been, and in the winter of 1866-67. 

 Have taken it from the last of December until the 25th of 

 April. 



The JEgiothus " exilipes. " of Coues (JE. canescens of other 

 ornithologists) is only a paler variety of this species, of 

 which, if we admit the inconstant characters used in con- 

 structing it (jE. " exilipes ") as tangible, we have an almost 

 endless array of species. 



