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BLACK-HEADED GOLDFINCH. 



-rCARDUELIS MAGELLANICUS, Vieill. 



PLATE CLXXXII.— Male. 



While residing at Henderson, on the Ohio, I, one cold morning in Decem- 

 ber, observed five males of this species on the heads of some sunflowers in 

 my garden, and, after watching them for a little time, shot two of them. 

 The rest rose high in the air, and were soon out of sight. Considering the 

 birds very nearly allied to our Common American Goldfinch, I was surprised 

 to find the head black at that season. Their notes resembled those of the 

 Pine Finch, Linaria pinus, but in their manner of feeding, as well as in 

 their flight, they precisely resembled the American Goldfinch, Carduelis 

 tristis. All my subsequent endeavours to meet with this species failed, and 

 I am unacquainted with the female. 



Five seen in winter at Henderson in Kentucky, of which I procured two. 



Black-headed Siskin, Fringilla magellanica, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 46. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, conical, compressed toward the end, very acute; upper mandi- 

 ble a little broader than the lower, with the dorsal outline slightly convex, 

 the sides convex, the edges a little inflected and overlapping, the tip slightly 

 declinate; the gap-line straight, but a little deflected at the base; lower man- 

 dible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line straight, the sides 

 convex, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. 



Head of moderate size, roundish-ovate. Neck short. Body rather full. 

 Legs of moderate length; tarsus short, compressed, slender, covered ante- 

 riorly with seven scutella, and thin-edged behind; toes slender, compressed, 

 scutellate, the first large and stouter, the lateral nearly equal; claws long, 

 compressed, moderately curved, very acute. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings rather long, pointed; the first and 

 second quills equal, the third one-twelfth shorter, the other primaries rapidly 

 graduated; the outer secondaries emarginate. Tail rather short, emarginate. 



Male, 4|, wing 2if . 



Vol. III. 23 



