58 
FEMALE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 
it has, in this state, been mistaken for a distinct species, and most 
unaccountably arranged in the systems as a variety of the Euro¬ 
pean Siskin. 
The history of this bird, which so completely resembles 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, 
quoted above, 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 super¬ 
fluous, we shall proceed to describe the species in all its different 
states. 
The male American Goldfinch in summer dress, represented by 
Wilson in his first plate, 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 tipped with white, an arrangement which ex¬ 
hibits two white bands across the wings; the first and third prima¬ 
ries are equal, hardly shorter than the second, which is the longest, 
the fourth being nearly as long as the third; the secondaries are 
margined with white. The tail is emarginated, the feathers being 
black, slightly edged with white, and having a large pure white 
spot on the inner web at tip. 
The female, as is usual in this family of birds, is rather smaller 
than the male, and is widely different from that sex in the colours 
of its plumage. The bill and feet are brownish; the lower man¬ 
dible is whitish at base: the head has no appearance of black, 
