YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. xx 



YELLOW BIKD, OE GOLDFINCH. {Fringilla 

 trislis.) 



PLATE I.— Fig. 2. 



Linn. Syst. i. p. 320. — Carduelis Americana, Briss. iii. p. 6, 3. — Le Chardonnerat 

 jaune, Buff. iv. p. 112. PI. ml. 202, fo. 2. — American Goldfinch, Arct. Zool. 

 ii. No. 242.- Edw. 274.-Lath. Syn. iii. p. 288, 57. Id. Sup. p. 166.— Bar- 

 tram, p. 290.— Peak's Museum, No. 6344. 



CARDUELIS AMERICANA— Edwakds. 



New York Siskin, Penn. Arct. Zool. p. 372. (Male changing his plumage, and the 

 male in his winter dress taken for female, auct. Swains.) — Fringilla tristis, 

 Bonap. Syn. p. Ill, No. 181. — Carduelis Americana, North. Zool. ii. p. 268. 



This bird is four inches and a half in length, and eight 

 inches in extent, of a rich lemon yellow, fading into white 

 towards the rump and vent. The wings and tail are black, 

 the former tipt and edged with white, the interior webs of the 

 latter are also white ; the fore part of the head is black, the 

 bill and legs of a reddish cinnamon colour. This is the sum- 

 mer dress of the male ; but in the month of September the 

 yellow gradually changes to a brown olive, and the male and 

 female are then nearly alike. They build a very neat and deli- 

 cately formed little nest, which they fasten to the twigs of an 

 apple tree, or to the strong branching stalks of hemp, covering 

 it on the outside with pieces of lichen, which they find on the 

 trees and fences ; these they glue together with their saliva, 

 and afterwards line the inside with the softest downy sub- 

 stances they can produre. The female lays five eggs, of a 

 dull white, thickly marked at the greater end ; and they gene- 

 rally raise two broods in a season. The males do not arrive 

 at their perfect plumage until the succeeding spring ; wanting, 

 during that time, the black on the head, and the white on the 

 wings being of a cream colour. In the month of April they 

 begin to change their winter dress, and, before the middle of 

 May, appear in brilliant yellow ; the whole plumage towards 

 its roots is of a dusky bluish black. 



