CHRYSOMITRIS TRISTIS. g9 



>ii-:xusm. CIIKYSOMITKIS. THE GOLDFINCHES. 



f :,:N :. ( n. Bill, mall and pointed. Winy,, long. Tail, forked. Coracoid*, shorter than the top of keel, which i, but 

 Ktlle higher toon mi-- half the width of sternum. Size, small. 



All the species within our limits an- more or less conspicuously colored with yellow, excepting pintu which has also 

 pale-yellow marking!! on the wings and tail. 







CHEYSOMITRI3 TRISTIS. 

 Common American Goldfinch. 

 Chrysomitris tristis BON., List, 1838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. CH. Form, rather robust. Tongue, quite thick, tipped with hair-like, horny fihers. Sternum us given above. 



\>hi!t ,:u,l, in spriny. Bright l;'mon-yellow. Top of head, wings and tail, black. Lesser w introverts, tips of 

 .T-.niii',' Mrs, ..uter edges of secon;lari,-s, tips of primaries, elongated spots on inner webs of terminal portion of 

 1,-athcrs. upper and under tail coverts and under wing coverts, white. 



Adult fnnnlr iii spriny. Greenish-brown, above an 1 yellowLsh-grcen, beneath. The wings and tail are brown, marked 

 with white, v. :.ieh is more restricted than in the male, and Ls frequently of a smoky tinge. 



Adult inn'i- in irintrr. Similar to the Spring fjmale above but smoky-white beneath, with the front and sides of the 



and rump, more or less tinged with yellow. The white markings are broader and more extended. 

 Adult frmalc in irintcr. Similar to the male but grayer above and inclined to be reddish-brown on the rum]) and lower 

 buck, wl.il.' tlic y, IIowWi is scarcely perceptible. 



ing. Summer males of the preceding year exhibit a grayish patch, of a greater or less extent, on the upper back. 

 There are Cr;-,|U 'ntly a few greenish feathers in the black of the head. The females of the same age are more reddish above. 

 1 n-ii n :/ oftht i,'iir. Both sexes are highly tinged, above and below, with reddish-brown; while the white markings of 

 tin- vi ings an 1 tail are replaced by this rusty color. 



.Y. .</,';' ;, ,-. Do not differ from the above, excepting that the throat Ls destitute of feathers long after the other portions 

 body are covered. Contrary to the rule, even in this Family, nestlings do not moult the first autumn. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There i; n i diiTic ulty in recognizing this species in the adult stage, and the young may always be distinguished by the 

 wing an 1 tail markings as given. There Ls no species which has come under 'my observation where then' is absolutely so 

 : iation as in the present. In a series tf some eighty summer skins, now before me, the yellow varies slightly in 

 i- partly due to age. The black tf the head is also more restricted in some than in others, aside from these 

 locations, however, there is a singular uniformity of coloration; while in winter there is but little more; variation. 

 A very large specimen from Utah, in the bright plumage of early summer, has the black of the head less extended than 

 usual. \v! : r with its uncommon size gives it a peculiar appearance. Late in mmmer the wear of the white edges 



r blacker than earlier in the season. The adults undergo an entire change of plumage in the autumn, 

 but in spring the feathers of the wings and tail are retained while the remainder of the body acquires a new dress. It is 

 worthy that this is the only species among Fringilline birds, which I have examined, that i- n ;t streaked beneath in 

 !umage, but I cannot find any indication of those markings even in the nestlings where they usually ap- 

 pear in -ii, > i - which are unmarked when adult. 



Distributed in summer throughout northern and middle North America; winters in the middle and southern portions. 

 The n-.rtheni ran,' , during winter, varies somewhat in different seasons, being governed by the supply of food, which Ls 

 largely regulated by the depth of snow. 



DIMENSIONS. 



A\ r .; .,; Ilt - , f twcnty-f.;ur specimens. Length, 5'fiO; stretch, 9'05; wing, 2'85; tail, 1-85; bill,'48; tarsus 



'I"'. I- n -:>-'ciiiH'n,6-00; greatest extent of wing, 9'50; longer wine. TOO; tail, 2-07; bill, -50; tarsus, ;57. Shortest 

 'iien. l-T.'i; iiiall.-st extent of wing, 8'75: shortest wing. 2'00; tail, I'OO; bill, -\j; tarsus, -40. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



*. placed in trees. They are compact structures composed outwardly of fibrous bark, leaves, weeds, and thistle 

 r smoothly lined with silvery-white thistle down than with any other material, when they present a 

 very pretty a . t>ut spec hn-n- li.'fjre me vary in being lined with fine roots, horse hair, or fern cotton. Three HP- 



partly f f . oninion cotton, while one has r:: ing n -ally woven into the external portion. Dimension 



. 3-00, internal, 2'00. External depth, 2'25 internal, 1-25. 



. fmr in nuiii'i.'T oval in form, pale bluish-green in color unspotted, in all that I have examined. Dimensions 

 from -Gjx-30 to '70x'53. 



WRDS OF FLORIDA. 13 



