AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 175 



in this position until the bird-lime has run out in the form of a slender 

 thread considerably below the twig, when feeling a certain degree of se- 

 curity, it beats its wings and flies oflP, with a resolution, doubtless, never 

 to alight in such a place again ; as I have observed Goldfinches that had 

 escaped from me in this manner, when about to alight on any twig, whe- 

 ther smeared with bird-lime or not, flutter over it, as if to assure them- 

 selves of its being safe for them to perch upon it. 



FniNGiLLA TRisTis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 320 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 62. 



— Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 111. 

 American Goldfinch, Fringilla tristis, Lath. Synops. vol. iii. p. 288. — Wils. 



Anier. Ornith. vol. i. p. 20. PL 1. fig. 2. Adult Male in Summer.— CA. Bonaparte, 



Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 57- PI. 6. fig. 4. Female. 



Adult Male in spring. Plate XXXIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill rather short, conical, very acute ; upper mandible a Uttle broader 

 than the lower, very slightly declinate at the tip, rounded on the sides, as 

 is the lower, which has the edges inflected and acute ; the gap line straight, 

 not extending to beneath the eye. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by 

 the feathers. Head rather large. Neck short. Body pretty full. Legs 

 of moderate length, slender ; tarsus longer than the middle toe, covered 

 anteriorly with a few longish scutella ; toes scuteUate above, free, the la- 

 teral ones nearly equal ; claws very slender, much compressed, acute, and 

 slightly arched, that of the hind toe not much larger. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings of ordinary length, the third and 

 fourth quills longest, the second nearly as long. Tail of ordinary length, 

 forked, the lateral feathers curved outwards a little towards the tip. 



Bill and feet yellowish-brown. Iris dark brown. The general colour 

 of the plumage is a rich lemon-yellow, fading posteriorly into yellowish- 

 white. Fore and upper part of the head, wings, and tail, black ; quills 

 externally margined, and the large coverts tipped, with yeUo wish-white ; 

 inner webs of the tail white. 



Length 4^ inches, extent of wings 8 ; biU along the ridge ^, along the 

 gap /j. 



Adult Female in spring. Plate XXXIII. Fig. 2. 

 The female wants the black spot on the head, and in her the fine yel- 

 low of the male is changed into brownish-olive, fading posteriorly intoyel- 



