130 
FRINGILLA TRISTIS. 
cable to the American goldfinch in its dull state 
plumage; aud Wilson expresses a doubt whether 
7 I . . p 1 
not the black Mexican siskin is the same as his J> 
species, Fringilla pirns. 
All these pretty little birds belong to the subg 6 ® 
Carduelis, having a more slender, acute, and elong a * 
bill, than other Fringilla. 
30. FRIHOILLA TRISTIS, LIN FEMALE AMERICAN GOLBFI‘ 
BONAFAUTE, PLATE VI. FIG. IV. 
jP 
The very great dissimilarity between the ses eS , , 
their spring dress, will justify the reappearance 0 
bird already given by Wilson, more especially as it 
fll)' 
in this state, been mistaken for a distinct species, “ j 
most unaccountably arranged in the systems as a vat 1 
of the European siskin. 
The history of this bird, which so completely^. p . 
sembles the goldfinch of Europe in song and^u- ^ 
being nearly completed by the golden pen of 
we shall not attempt to add any observations o* j|, 
own, but shall refer the reader to his volume ( V ° 
p. 262) for its biography. As we cannot but oh’ 1 !,..;, 
that his description is short and somewhat impey^, 
probably owing to the opinion he at first entertal®^, 
hut afterwards judiciously relinquished, that a H>’ , . 
1 • i* _ Zr, ij ...A S**‘ 
description of common birds is superfluous, wc s [( i. 
proceed to describe the species in all its different st* 
The male American goldfinch in summer dress, , 
scribed by Wilson, is four aud a half inches long', 
- - . J - - - - - — 
eight in extent. The bill resembles that of the Eur ( 'l’ .j, 
goldfinch, and, as well as the feet, is of a r<l ,|i> 
cinnamon colour ; the irides are dark brown > r i 
front aud vertex are glossy black; the remaining 
of the head, and all the body, rich lemon yello"’ 
superior and inferior tail-coverts are white, as " c 
the thighs ; the wings and tail are black, the 
coverts of the wings being yellow externally, and '* 
on the inner side and at tip ; the greater covet s 
