DESCRIPTIVE LIST 231 



The Goldfinch, also known as Wild Canary, Lettuce-Bird, and Thistle-Bird, is 

 a common resident throughout the State, except in the eastern portion, where it 

 appears to be only a winter visitor, arriving there in October and leaving in May. 

 In central North Carolina it is much more abundant in winter than in summer. 



Its nesting season is in July and August, which is much later than most other 

 small birds breed. The nest is a beautiful, compact structure composed of vegetable 

 fibers, moss, grasses, leaves, and fine strips of bark felted together and lined inside 

 with plant down. The eggs vary from four to six in number. They are pale bluish 

 or greenish white, and are unspotted. Size .65 x .52. The nest is usually placed 

 in a small tree, and the height varies from three to forty feet from the ground. At 

 Raleigh it is a common summer bird within the city limits. 



FIG. 181. GOLDFINCH. 



The Goldfinch is a confirmed eater of many kinds of small seeds, including those 

 of the thistle, sunflower, turnip, trumpet-vine, chickweed, zinnia, lettuce, and dan- 

 delion. 



Genus Spinus (Koch) 



218. Spinus pinus pinus (Wils.). PINE SISKIN. 



Description. Plumage streaked with brown, suffused with yellow in the breeding season. 

 Bases of wing and tail-quills yellow. Measurements of 21 Raleigh and 1 Weaverville specimens: 

 L., 4.60-5.12; W., 2.75-3.06; T., 1.60-1.95. 



Range. Northern North America, breeding northward, and in the mountains; south in winter, 

 occasionally to the Southern States. 



Range in North Carolina. Irregular winter visitor in most parts of State, breeding on a few 

 of the highest mountains. 



The Pine Siskin occurs irregularly throughout the State in winter. At Raleigh 

 it was more or less common each winter from 1884 to 1890, was there again in 

 1896-7, and also from 1906 to 1909, but was not observed during the intervening 

 winters. In the spring of 1911, it was abundant at Raleigh and Chapel Hill, and 

 was noted as late as May 11 at the former and May 6 at the latter place. It has 

 been recorded at Pea Island (large flock seen by Bishop, December 14, 1908) ; at 

 Roan Mountain (noted by Rhoads up to 3,500 feet in late June, 1885) ; and in Bun- 



