130 
ERINGILLA TRISTIS. 
cable to the American goldfinch in its dull state of 
plumage; and Wilson expresses a doubt whether or 
not the black Mexican siskin is the same as his new 
species, Fringilla pinus. 
All these pretty little birds belong to the subgen us 
Cardueiis , having a more slender, acute, and elongated 
bill, than other Fr ingill ce. 
30 . FRIIIGILLA TRISTIS , LIN. FEMALE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 
BONAPARTE, PLATE VI. FIG. IV. 
The very great dissimilarity between the sexes in 
their spring dress, will justify the reappearance of a 
bird already given by Wilson, more especially as it has, 
in this state, been mistaken for a distinct species, and 
most unaccountably arranged in the systems as a variety 
of the European siskin. 
The history of this bird, which so completely re- 
sembles the goldfinch of Europe in song and habits, 
being nearly completed by the golden pen of Wilson, 
we shall not attempt to add any observations of our 
own, but shall refer the reader to his volume (Yol. II. 
p. 262) for its biography. As we cannot but observe 
that his description is short and somewhat imperfect, 
probably owing to the opinion he at first entertained, 
but afterwards judiciously relinquished, that a minute 
description of common birds is superfluous, we shall 
proceed to describe the species in all its different states. 
The male American goldfinch in summer dress, de- 
scribed by Wilson, is four and a half inches long, and 
eight in extent. The bill resembles that of the European 
goldfinch, and, as well as the feet, is of a reddish 
cinnamon colour ; the irides are dark brown ; the 
front and vertex are glossy black ; the remaining part 
of the head, and all the body, rich lemon yellow; the 
superior and inferior tail-coverts are white, as well as 
the thighs ; the wings and tail are black, the small 
coverts of the wings being yellow externally, and white 
on the inner side and at tip ; the greater coverts are 
