170 THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 



The female is all over of a deep blue, except the breast, 

 which is speckled. 



OBSERVATIONS These birds are very numerous during the summer in 



Carolina, which they quit in the winter in small flights. Juniper berries 

 are their principal food ; and they eat them with pleasure when caged. 

 They are generally fed with rape and canary seed ; but are soon accus- 

 tomed to all the food of the aviary. They are more admired for their 

 plumage than their song. 



THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 



Fringilla tristis, LINN.EUS ; Le Chardonneret jaune, BUFFON ; Der Geltoe Stieglitz, 

 BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird is as large as a linnet, its length being about four 

 inches and a third. The beak and feet are whitish ; the iris 

 is nut-brown ; the forehead is black, and the rest of the body 

 yellow. 



The female has no black on the forehead ; the upper part 

 of her body is of an olive green ; the throat, breast and rump 

 of a bright yellow ; the belly and vent white ; the wings and 

 tail blackish. 



The young males at first exactly resemble the females, the 

 only difference being the black forehead. 



These birds build twice a year, in spring and autumn. 

 Edwards says that they also moult twice, so that it is only 

 during the summer that they are of the colours described 

 above. In the winter the top of the male's head is black; 

 the throat, neck, and breast, yellow; the rump also yellow, but 

 of a whitish hue ; the feathers of the back olive brown, lighter 

 at the edges ; the wings and the tail black, with white edges 

 to almost all the feathers. 



The female is generally of a lighter colour, and the top of 

 the head is not black : thus we perceive that in winter these 

 birds very much resemble our siskins. 



OBSERVATIONS. These American birds repair in the summer in great 

 numbers to the state of New York ; they live on the seeds of different 

 kinds of thistles, like our goldfinches, and eat the same food when caged. 

 They are easily tamed, and sometimes even lay in captivity. Their eggs 

 are of a pearl gray, but I am ignorant whether they are ever productive in 

 confinement. 



