FEMALE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 
131 
!?l? e d with white, an arrangement which exhibits two 
, lte bands across the wings; the first and third pi 1 - 
k. . Zinurs iiuruss tuts vviu^o, — -- l 
i aries are equal, hardly shorter than the second, which 
(i .® e longest, the fourth being nearly as long as the 
t „ji .> the secondaries are margined with white. The 
, »s emarginated, the feathers being black, slightly 
with white, and having a large pure white spot 
Vr * nner web at tip. . 
fa® female, as is usual in this family of birds, is 
f,, l,;l ' smaller than the male, and is widely different 
“i" 1 that sex in the colours of its plumage. The bill 
L | feet are brownish; the lower mandible is whitish 
'i’iti! ase ’ tbt 1 head has no appearance ot black, and, 
t |' U ‘ the neck, the back, and rump, is brownish olive, 
c p^tter part being of a lighter shade than the pre- 
wi ltl S portions; the upper tail-coverts are greenish 
a J te ! the frontlet, cheeks, sides of the neck, throat, 
tli! ! p P er part of the breast, are pale greenish yellow ; 
U 1 1 0vver portion ot* tbe breast, belly, vent, flanks, 
Vv i '' wing and under tail-coverts, are whitish. The 
s >and tail, which always afford the most constant 
c characters, are like those of the male, except 
1 tl »e black colour is less intense, and the white is 
^ Ptire, being slightly tinged with rufous. 
(U “this state of plumage, the bird closely resembles 
L Pringilia citrindla of the south of Europe, which, 
tlii Vev,!r > cau always be distinguished from it by several 
^acters, but more particularly by its greenish yellow 
c ' <tl P> and by bein'' destitute of the whitish spot at the 
J of the inner web of the tail feathers. The young 
4 So like the females as to he distinguished with 
tl„, 1*T J their colours, however, are still less lively ; 
(vvi? ^sume the adult livery in the spring, but do not 
^irQ ^ le brilliancy of the perfect bird until the 
moult. 
s,, American goldfinch moults twice a-year, in the 
tb 0Q s of sprin ,, 1UK 1 autumn. At the spring moult 
th! males obtain° their vivid colouring, which is lost at 
(L ai >tumnal change, and replaced by a more humble 
ess > similar to that of the female, from which sex 
