Species VIII. FRINGILLA PINUS. 
PINE FINCH. 
[Plate XVII. Fig. 1.] 
Tins little northern stranger visits us in the month of November, and 
seeks the seeds of the black alder, on the borders of swamps, creeks and 
rivulets. As the weather becomes more severe, and the seeds of the 
Pinus canadensis are fully ripe, these birds collect in larger flocks and 
take up their residence, almost exclusively, among these trees. In the 
gardens of Bush-hill, in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, a flock of two 
or three hundred of these birds have regularly wintered many years ; 
where a noble avenue of pine trees, and walks covered with fine white 
gravel, furnish them with abundance through the winter. Early in 
March they disappear, either to the north, or to the pine woods that 
cover many lesser ranges of the Alleghany. While here they are often 
so tame as to allow you to walk within a few yards of the spot where a 
whole flock of them are sitting. They flutter among the branches, fre- 
quently hanging by the cones, and uttering a note almost exactly like 
that of the Goldfinch (F. tristis). I have not a doubt but this bird ap- 
pears in a richer dress in summer in those places where he breeds, as 
he has so very great a resemblance to the bird above mentioned, with 
whose changes we are well acquainted. 
The length of this species is four inches, breadth eight inches ; upper 
part of the head, the neck and back, a dark flaxen color, streaked with 
black ; wings black, marked with two rows of dull white or cream color ; 
whole wing quills, under the coverts, rich yellow, appearing even when 
the wings are shut ; rump and tail coverts yellowish, streaked with dark 
brown ; tail feathers rich yellow from the roots half way to the tips, 
except the two middle ones, which are blackish brown, slightly edged 
with yellow ; sides under the wings of a cream color, with long streaks 
of black ; breast a light flaxen color, with small streaks or pointed spots 
of black ; legs purplish brown ; bill a dull horn color ; eyes hazel. The 
female was scarcely distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The 
New York Siskin of Pennant* appears to be only the Yellow-bird (Frin- 
gilla tristis) in his winter dress. 
* Arct. Zool. p. 372. No. 243. 
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