266 
FRINGILLA PINUS. 
you to walk within a few yards of the spot where a 
whole flock of them are sitting. They flutter among 
the branches, frequently hanging by the cones, and 
uttering a note almost exactly like that of the goldfinch, 
(.F. tristis .) I have not a doubt but this bird appears 
in a richer dress in summer in those places where he 
breeds, as he has so very great a resemblance to the 
bird above mentioned, with whose changes we are well 
acquainted. 
The length of this species is four inches; breadth, 
eight inches; upper part of the head, the neck, and 
back, a dark flaxen colour, streaked with black ; wings, 
black, marked with two rows of dull white, or cream 
colour ; whole wing quills, under the coverts, rich 
yellow, appearing even when the wings are shut ; rump 
and tail-coverts, yellowish, streaked with dark brown ; 
tail feathers, rich yellow from the roots half way to 
the tips, except the two middle ones, which are blackish 
brown, slightly edged with yellow ; sides under the 
wings, of a cream colour, with long streaks of black ; 
breast, a light flaxen colour, with small streaks or 
pointed spots of black ; legs, purplish brown ; bill, a 
dull horn colour ; eyes, hazel. The female was scarcely 
distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The New 
York siskin of Pennant,* appears to be only the yellow 
bird ( fringilla tristis ) in his winter dress. 
This bird has a still greater resemblence to the siskin 
of Europe, (jE. spinus ,) and may, perhaps, be the species 
described by Turton,f as the black Mexican siskin, 
which he says is varied above with black and yellowish, 
and is white beneath, and which is also said to sing 
finely. This change from flaxen to yellow is observable 
in the goldfinch ; and no other two birds of our country 
resemble each other more than these do in their winter 
dresses, 
r 
* Arctic Zoology, p. 872, No. 243. 
f Turton, vol. i, p. 560. 
