482 FRINGILLID.r. 



tlie outer tliircl, forming the tip, of the same colour as tlie 

 body of the feather ; the greater wing-coverts and the ter- 

 tials grey ; the rump and upper tail-coverts of a brighter 

 yellow than the body ; the two middle tail-feathers shorter 

 than the others, and greyish brown ; the rest on each side 

 have the basal half gamboge yellow, the terminal part grey- 

 ish brown ; the form of the tail forked ; the chin, throat, 

 breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, light Avax yellow, in- 

 clining to grey on the sides of the body, and to gamboge 

 yellow on the belly and under tail-coverts ; the surface of 

 the smaller under wing-coverts yellow ; under surface of the 

 basal half of the tail-feathers pale yellow, the ends grey. 

 Legs, toes, and claws, pale wood-brown. 



The whole length of an adult male bird, six inches to six 

 inches and one quarter. From the carpal joint to the end of 

 the wing, three inches and a half : the first three quill-feathers 

 very nearly equal in length ; the fourth one-eighth of an inch 

 shorter than the third ; the fifth one quarter of an inch 

 shorter than the fourth. 



In the female, which is rather smaller than the male, the beak 

 is pale brown ; the general colour of the plumage hair-brown, 

 tinged only with greenish yellow on the outer edges of the 

 primaries, the rump, and base of the tail-feathers ; the throat, 

 breast, and belly, pale brown, the latter tinged with green ; 

 under tail-coverts pale brownish white ; under wing-coverts 

 tinged with yellow. 



Young birds of the year in their first plumage are readily 

 known by the elongated patches of brown which they bear at 

 that period on the throat, breast, and belly ; a few clouded 

 spots are also to be seen on the back. 



Young males after their first moult are intermediate in the 

 general tone of colour between that of the adult male and the 

 female, but the yellow colour on the primaries does not ex- 

 tend so far alonsr each feather. 



