302 THE AMEEICAN GOLDFINCH. 



inches and a half long. In colour it is dark violet, or purple, 

 with a tinge of dark brown ; the quill feathers are brown in- 

 side ; the belly white ; the tail rather forked. The female is 

 dark brown all over, the breast being spotted with white, like 

 a Redwing. 



Observations. In Carolina these birds are common in sum- 

 mer, but in winter they depart in smaller flocks. They live 

 principally on juniper- berries of which, when confined, they 

 are fond. They are fed on rape and canary seed. They are 

 soon accustomed to the food of the aviary. They are more 

 esteemed for their beauty than their twittering song. 



120. THE AMEKICAN GOLDFINCH. 



Fringilla Tristis, LIN. Chardonneret Jaune, BUF. Der Americaniche- 

 oder Gelbe Stieglitz, BECH. 



Description. The American Goldfinch is four inches and a 

 half long, and about the size of a Linnet. The beak and feet 

 are white ; the iris nut-brown ; the fore part of the head black ; 

 the rest of the body yellow ; the shanks and the tail coverts 

 yellowish white or grey ; the wing coverts black, with a white 

 transverse band, formed by the points of the white coverts ; 

 the quill feathers black, the edges and points of the hinder 

 ones white ; the tail black. 



The female has no black on the fore part of the head ; the 

 upper parts of the body is olive green ; the throat, breast, and 

 rump, clear yellow ; the belly and vent white ; the wings and 

 tail like the male, but lighter in colour. The young bird is at 

 first like the female in every respect, except that it has the 

 black forehead. 



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

 have the colours described above only in summer. In winter, 

 the male is black on the top of the head; the throat, the 

 whole of the neck, and the breast, are yellow ; the rump also 

 yellow, somewhat tinged with white ; the back olive brown, 

 with the edges of the feathers lighter ; the wings and tail black, 

 though almost all the feathers have a white border. The 

 female is similar, except that her colours are generally duskier, 

 and that she has not the top of the head black. It is plain 

 from this, that these birds in winter bear a strong resemblance 

 to our Siskins. 



Observations. These birds are met with in North America ; 



