134 
AEKAN8A W GOLDFINCH. 
Carduelis psaltria, Say. 
PLATE CLXXXIII.— Male, 
This pretty little species first added to our Fauna by Thomas Say, who 
procured it in the course of Colonel Long’s expedition to the Rocky Moun- 
tains, visits the lower parts of Louisiana atirregular periods, although always 
during winter. I have procured individuals a few miles from Bayou Sara. 
They fly loosely together, alight after performing some evolutions, made as 
if to ascertain the absence of danger, and, as soon as they are on the trees or 
on the ground, proceed to search for food. The only notes I heard them 
utter, somewhat resembled those of C. tristis, the American Goldfinch. 
They are impatient birds, and seldom remain long in the same spot, but 
change to and fro in the same locality. No individuals of this species were 
observed by Nuttall or Townsend in the course of their journey to and 
across the Rocky Mountains. My figure is that of an old male drawn at 
Bayou Sara. 
Eastern bases of Rocky Mountains, and Western Plains. Accidental in 
Lower Louisiana. Common. Migratory. 
Arkansaw Siskin, Fringilla psaltria, Say, Long’s Expecb, vol. ii. p. 40. 
Fringilla psaltria, Bonap. Syii., p. 111. 
Arkansas Siskin, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 510. 
Arkansaw Siskin, Fringilla psaltria, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 85. 
Adult Male. 
Bill short, conical, stout, compressed toward the end, the tip acute ; upper 
mandible with the dorsal line somewhat convex, the ridge indistinct, the 
sides rounded, the edges sharp, declinate at the base, the tip narrow ; lower 
mandible with the angle very short and semicircular, the dorsal line straight, 
the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, round, 
concealed by the feathers. 
Head rather large, broadly ovate ; neck short ; body moderate. Feet of 
moderate size ; tarsus rather short, compressed, with seven anterior scutella, 
and two plates behind meeting so as to form a very sharp edge ; toes rather 
large, the lateral equal, the first stouter ; claws rather long, moderately 
arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, very acute. 
