THE SPARROW TRIBE AND ITS KIN 115 



.1, 



side of his tail as he spreads it and flies before you to alight 

 upon a fence. Like the song sparrow, this cousin has some 

 fine, dark streaks on his throat and breast but no black 

 cravat. If you get near enough you will notice that his 

 wing coverts, which are a bright chestnut-brown, make the 

 rest of his sparrow plumage look particularly pale and dull. 

 Some people call him the bay-winged bunting; others, the 

 grass finch, because he nests, like the meadow-lark and 

 many other foolish birds, on the ground where mice, 

 snakes, mowing machines, and cats often make sad havoc 

 of his young family. 



This sparrow rarely flies higher than a bush to sing his 

 serene, pastoral strain, restful as the twilight, of which, in- 

 deed, it seems to be the vocal expression. How different 

 from the ecstatic outburst of the song sparrow! Pensive 

 but not sad, his long-drawn, silvery notes continue in 

 quavers that float off unended like a trail of mist. It is an 

 exquisite evensong. 



The Goldfinch 



Length — 5 to 5.2 inches. About an inch smaller than the 

 English sparrow. 



Male — In summer 'plumage: Bright yellow, except on 

 crown of head, frontlet, wings, and tail, which are black. 

 Whitish wing-bands. Tail white on inner webs. In 

 winter plumage : Head yeUow-olive; no frontlet; back| 

 brownish drab; shoulders and throat yellow; brownish 

 white underneath. 



Female — Brownish olive above, yellowish white beneath. 



Range — North America, from the tropics to the Fur 

 Countries and westward to the Columbia River and 

 California. Common throughout its range. 



