244 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



The adult male Chaffinch has the forehead black, 

 the crown and nape slaty-blue, the back chestnut- 

 brown, shading into yellowish-green on the rump ; 

 the wings are dark brown, the quills margined with 

 yellow ; the median wing-coverts are white, the 

 greater ones black, tipped with yellow, forming two 

 bars ; the tail is dark brown, the two central feathers 

 greyer than the rest, and the outermost feathers 

 with large white patches. The general colour of 

 the under parts is vinous-brown, shading into nearly 

 white on the under tail-coverts. The female is 

 much less showy, the slate-grey is replaced by brown, 

 and the under parts are much paler and less vinous. 

 The nestling plumage is very similar to that of the 

 female. The total length of this bird is about six 

 inches. 



