YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. 
11 
YELLOW BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH — FRINGILLA TRISTIS. 
Plate I. Fig. 2. 
Linn. Syst. i. p. 320. — Carduelis Americana, Briss. iii. p. 6, 3. — Le Chardonnerat 
jaune, Buff. iv. p. 112. PI. enl. 202, fo. 2. — American Goldfinch, Arct. Zool. 
ii. No. 242 Edw. 274 — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 288, 57. Id. Sup. p. 166. — Bartram, 
p. 290. — Peak's Museum, No. 6344. 
CARDUELIS AMERICANA. — Edwards. 
New York Siskin, Penn. Arct. Zool. p. 372. (Male changing his plumage, and the 
Male in his winter dress taken for female, auct. Swains.) — Fringilla tristis, 
Bonap. Syn. p. Ill, No. 181. — Carduelis Americana, North. Zool. ii. p. 268. 
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 sum- 
mer 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 deli- 
cately formed little 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 sub- 
stances they can procure. The female lays five eggs, of a 
dull white, thickly marked at the greater end ; and they gene- 
rally raise two broods in a season. 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, and, before the middle of 
May, appear in brilliant yellow : the whole plumage towards 
its roots is of a dusky bluish black. 
