Redpoll 343 
and the whole of the tail-coverts white; iris brown, bill orange, 
tipped black, legs light brown. Length 4-5; wing 2-75; tail 1-90; 
culmen -40; tarsus -50. 
The male in winter is a dull brown above, becoming dull grey on the 
rump ; wing and tail as in the breeding male, but with white edgings 
and tips; below very pale brown, becoming white posteriorly, washed 
with yellow more or less anteriorly ; bill horn-coloured. 
The female is like the male in winter, but is smaller (wing 2-65); the 
young bird is like the female, but the white markings of the wings and 
tail are tinged with pale rusty. 
Distribution.—Eastern North America to the base of the Rocky 
Mountains from southern Labrador and Manitoba to the Gulf coast. 
In Colorado the prevalent form of the Goldfinch is the eastern typical 
subspecies ; it is a resident chiefly in the plains and foothills, though its 
numbers are largely reinforced in summer by migrants. It breeds 
from the plains up to 7,000 feet, rarely up to 10,000, and its move- 
ments are irregular. 
The following are recorded localities : Boulder co., wintering in valley 
and nesting on Gold Hill (Gale) ; near Denver, El Paso co, January to 
May, Limon, May, and Pueblo, November (Aiken) ; Salida, winter and 
summer (Frey). 
Habits.—Goldfinches are found in flocks throughout 
the greater part of the year, and very often associate 
with Pine-Linnets and other species; they wande 
about in rather an irregular manner and feed on small 
seeds, especially those of the thistle ; they have a plain- 
tive, lisping song. The nesting date varies somewhat, 
but fresh eggs are usually to be met with at the end 
of June or beginning of July. Dennis Gale found two 
nests on July 31st, one of which contained five young 
birds, while the other was only just completed, and was 
still empty. The former one was placed in a box alder 
about seven feet up, saddled on an outer branch; it 
was composed of wool on the outside, grass for the middle, 
while the lining was of cotton and thistle down. 
The eggs, usually four or five in number, are faintly 
bluish-white, and normally unmarked; they measure 
‘65 x ‘50. 
