178 



One of the merriest of summer birds, sometimes remaining through 

 the winter in the more southern parts of Canada. It is a great lover of 

 fluffy white thistle and dandelion seed-heads and can often be seen plucking 

 the down, cutting off the fruiting end, and letting the airy tops float away 

 on the wind. Its song is as pleasant as its bright appearance as it sits 

 on some lone elevation and sings "Sweet-sweet-chewit-chewit-chewit" or goes 

 speeding off through the air in a merry flock repeating their cheerful 

 "Per-chic-o-pee." The American Goldfinch, though a relative of the Old 

 World bird of the same name, is an entirely different species, named, 

 as the original settlers named many birds, from various fancied or real 

 resemblances to the familiar forms known at home. 



Economic Status. A bird of no bad habits and many good ones. 

 Weed seeds are its staple food, but grain is rarely touched. If the House 

 or English Sparrows do not exhaust the supply prematurely, sunflower 

 seed heads are a never-failing attraction to Goldfinches and a supply of 

 these along the back fence will ensure their constant attendance through 

 the autumn and winter. Insects are taken more or less and some fruit, 

 usually wild species, as no complaint is made of any damage done to 

 cultivated varieties. 



Genus — Spinus. Siskins. 



533. Pine Siskin, pb. — lb chardonneret des pins. Spinus pinus. L, 5. 

 Small, goldfinch-like birds striped with olive-brown on a dull white ground, some 

 slightly tinged with yellowish; lighter below and with a lemon-yellow spot and suffusion 

 on the wings. 



Distinctions. General streakiness and suffused yellow wing-spot. 

 Field Marks. Goldfinch-like habits and voice and general streakiness. 

 Nesting. In coniferous trees; nest of twigs and rootlets lined with plant-down. 

 Distribution. The north coniferous woods across the continent, migrating to settled 

 districts in winter and locally breeding there. 



A winter visitor to the more southern sections of Canada and breeding 

 commonly in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. Very fond of conif- 

 erous evergreen trees. 



Economic Status. As it is only a winter visitor to settled Canada 

 and shows strong partiality for the fruit of coniferous trees, it is a neutral 

 species, doing perhaps no great good but certainly no harm. 



Genus — Plectrophenax. Snow Buntings. 



534. Snow Bunting, snowflake. fr. — le plectrophane des neiges. Plectro- 

 phenax nivalis. L, 6-88. Plate XXX B. 



Distinctions. Sharply contrasting black and white colouring with most of the feathers 

 heavily bordered with rusty, especially on the head, back, and breast-band. Through 

 the winter the rusty borders gradually wear off and the breeding plumage of black and 

 white results without moult. The general scheme of colouring of the Snow Bunting is 

 found in no other Canadian bird. 



Field Marks. Gregarious Ground Sparrows showing large amounts of white on black 

 wings when flying. 



Nesting. On the ground in moss, nest of grass, rootlets, and moss lined with feathers 

 and fur. 



Distribution. Circumpolar Arctics. In Canada, breeding from the edge of barren 

 grounds northward across the continent. 



SUBSPECIES. Though the Snow Bunting is divided into several subspecies, in 

 eastern Canada only the type form, the Common Snow Bunting, occurs. 



