GENUS 38. FRINGILLA. FINCH. 
SPECIES 1. F. TRISTIS. 
YELLOW-BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. 
[Plate I.— Fig. 2.] 
Linn. Syst, \,p. 320. — Carduelis Americana, 'Bmss. iii, p. 64. — Le 
Chardonneret jaune Buff, iv, p. 112. PL Enl. 202, f. 2. — ./Ame- 
rican Goldfinch, Arct. Zool. ii, JVb. 242. — Ewd. 27'4.' — Lath. 
Syn. Ill, p. 288^ 57. Id, Sup. p. 166. — Bartram, p. 290. — 
Peale’s Museum, JSTo. 6344. 
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 summer 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 delicately formed lit- 
tle 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 substances they can procure. 
The female lays five eggs, of a dull white, thickly marked at 
the greater end; and they generally raise two broods in a sea- 
son. 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, 
