254 THE CABINET OF 
lines of whitish; above and below the hind part of the ear 
feathers, are two streaks of white; the breast is whitish, 
streaked with a light flax colour; tail and wings as in the 
male, only both edged with dull brown, instead of red; 
belly and vent white. This is also the colour of the 
young during the first, and to at least the end of the 
second season, when the males begin to become lightly 
yellowish, which gradually brightens to crimson; the 
female always retains nearly the same appearance. The 
young male bird of the first year may be distinguished 
from the female by the tail of the former being edged with 
olive green; that of the latter with brown. A male of one 
of these birds, which I kept for some time, changed in the 
month of October, from red to greenish yellow, but died 
before it recovered its former colour.—W11son. 
PINE FINCH. 
FRINGILLA PINUS. 
[Plate XXII. Vol. 2.] 
J. Dovenry’s Collection. 
Tus little northern stranger visits us in the month of 
November, and seeks the seeds of the black alder, on the 
borders of swamps, creeks and rivulets. As the weather 
becomes more severe, and the seeds of the Pinws cana- 
densis are fully ripe, these birds collect in large flocks, and 
take up their residence, almost exclusively, among these 
trees. In the gardens of Bushhill, in the neighbour- 
hood of Philadelphia, a flock of two or three hundred of 
these birds have regularly wintered many years; where a 
noble avenue of pine trees, and walks covered with fine 
white gravel, furnish them with abundance through the 
winter. Early in March they disappear, either to the 
north, or to the pine woods that cover many lesser ranges 
of the Alleghany. While here they are often so tame as 
to allow you to walk within a few yards of the spot where 
a whole flock of them are sitting. They flutter among 
the branches, frequently hanging by the cones, and utter- 
ing a note almost exactly like that of the goldfinch, (7. 
tristis.) Ihave not a doubt but this bird appears in a 
richer dress in summer in those places where he breeds as 
he has so very great a resemblance to the bird above men- 
tioned, with whose changes we are well acquainted. 
The length of this species is four inches, breadth eight 
inches; upper part of the head, the neck and back, a dark 
flaxen colour, streaked with black; wings black, marked 
NATURAL HISTORY, 
with two rows of dull white or cream colour; whole wing 
quills, under the coverts, rich yellow, appearing eyen 
when the wings are shut; rump and tail coverts yellowish, 
streaked with dark brown; tail feathers rich yellow from 
the roots half way to the tips, except the two middle ones, 
which are blackish brown, slightly edged with yellow; 
sides under the wings of a cream colour, with long streaks 
of black; breast a light flaxen colour, with small streaks or 
pointed spots of black; legs purplish brown; bill a dull 
horn colour; eyes hazel. The female was scarcely distin- 
guishable by its plumage from the male. The New- 
York Siskin of Pennant appears to be only the yellow- 
bird, (ringilla tristis,) in his winter dress. 
This bird has a still greater resemblance to the Siskin 
of Europe, (7. spinus,) and may perhaps be the species 
described by Turton, as the Black Mexican Siskin, which 
he says is varied above with black and yellowish, and is 
white beneath, and which is also said to sing finely. This 
change from flaxen to yellow is observable in the Gold- 
finch; and no other two birds of our country resemble 
each other more than these do in their winter dresses.—b. 
INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
No. 6. 
My remarks in the present number will be confined to 
woodcock and snipe shooting, this being also readily sought 
after by the young sportsman, as these birds appear in 
their proper seasons, in the neighbourhood almost of every 
farm, town or city of the United States. 
The woodcock is a bird of very singular habits, and is, 
perhaps, one of the most itinerant of the feathered tribe, 
for it not only makes long journies over land, passing 
from clime to clime in a single night, but is ever moving 
throughout a neighbourhood in search of food, so soon as 
darkness covers the earth. 
The sluggishness of this bird at times, when flushed by 
the sportsman, may be attributed to its wanderings on the 
preceding night, especially if it should have been a clear, 
moonlight night. The indisposition, however, it mani- 
fests to quit its hiding place, arises more from the painful 
influence of the light on the vision; these operating 
against the bird, make it a favourite object of pursuit by 
the young sportsman, who, though unskilful in shooting 
either snipe or partridges, is sometimes very successful 
after woodcocks. 
In particular seasons of the year the woodcock is a most 
delicious bird, and may justly vie with any other delicacy 
