58 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



clutches one egg is lighter and differs in markings from the 

 others. 



The crown and nape are rich chestnut, and on the white 

 cheeks and ear-coverts there is a triangular black patch ; the 

 chin and throat are black. Two distinct though narrow white 

 bars cross the brown wings. In summer the bill is lead-blue, 

 in winter almost black. The legs are pale brown and the 

 irides hazel. Young, even in the nest, closely resemble their 

 parents ; they are said to be duller, but except that the white is 

 suffused with buff, this is misleading. The black on face and 

 bib is pure, but greyer on the lores ; the breast and belly are 

 browner. In one bird I examined the irides were distinctly 

 blue. - Length, 6 ins. Wing, 2'8 ins. Tarsus, 7 in. 



Snow-Finch. Montifringilla nivalis (Linn.). 



The Snow- Finch is an alpine bird which, though not a 

 regular migrant, has occasionally wandered in winter to Britain 

 from its home in the Pyrenees or mountains of central Europe. 

 A male, when consorting with Skylarks, was killed in Sussex in 

 1905, and in the same county three were obtained in 1916. In 

 Kent, in December, 1906, one was shot out of a party of four or 

 five " similar looking birds." 



In summer the Snow-Finch is a handsome bird, slate-grey 

 on the head and dark brown on the back. The chin, throat, 

 rump and upper tail-coverts are black. The outer tail feathers 

 and a large patch on the wing are snowy white ; below the 

 throat the under parts are white suffused with buff. The bill 

 and legs are black, the irides brown. In winter buff and white 

 tips obscure the purity of the plumage, and the bill is yellower. 

 Length, 775 ins. Wing, 4*6 ins. Tarsus, '95 in. 



