48 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



primaries have a large white spot. The general colour of the 

 bird is reddish brown, shading to greyish white on the belly 

 and under tail-coverts. The nape is grey, the lores, throat 

 and a line at the base of the bill are black. A conspicuous 

 white shoulder patch contrasts with the blue-black wings, and 

 the short tail is black and white with a rufous tinged centre. 

 The female is paler and less rufous than the male. There is a 

 distinct seasonal change in the colour of the bill ; in winter it is 

 described as " pinkish brown " (Seebohm) and " yellowish horn " 

 (Witherby), but my own notes give " fleshy white, pink tinged, 

 tip horn." The legs and feet are light brown. Difference of 

 opinion has been expressed about the colour of the iris, but in 

 old and young I have found it grey-white. The plumage of the 

 young differs from that of the adult birds ; the bill is lighter 

 and said to be similar to the winter colour ; I have found it 

 distinctly leaden in hue in July. The throat is pale buff, and 

 the breast and flanks are speckled and barred with brown. The 

 head and neck are greenish yellow. Length, about 7 ins. 

 Wing, 4 ins. Tarsus, g in. 



Goldfinch. Carduelis carduelis (Linn.). 



Several races of Goldfinch (Plate 18) inhabit the western 

 Palsearctic Region, and our British bird ranks as a sub-species, 

 C. c. britannica Hart. It is not certain if the typical European 

 C. c. carduelis reaches us on migration. 



Due in part to its beauty and engaging habits as a cage-bird, 

 and in part to the reclamation of waste land, the Goldfinch has 

 decreased, but there is satisfactory evidence that it is recovering 

 lost ground in many places. It occurs throughout our land, 

 but is rare or absent in the north of Scotland. The 

 migrations of the Goldfinch are puzzling, for undoubtedly many 

 reach our eastern shores in autumn, whilst others, at the same 

 season, leave the south coast. Some may be passage birds of 



