540 FRINGILLID.E. 



the base, and brown at the tip ; scapulars and smaller wirig- 

 coverts rich fawn colour, the latter tipped with white; 

 greater wing-coverts jet black, tipped with fawn colour ; 

 quill-feathers black; the primaries with narrow, light- 

 coloured outside edges, the tertials broadly edged with 

 fawn colour ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, slightly 

 varied with a few black feathers, which are brown at the 

 tips ; tail-feathers black, edged with buffy white, the outer 

 feather on each side with a patch of dull white on the 

 broad inner web, the middle pair shorter than the others ; 

 the form of the tail forked ; the chin, throat, upper part 

 of the breast and sides rich fawn colour ; lower part of 

 the breast, the belly, and under tail-coverts, white ; the 

 flanks varied with black and light brown ; a small tuft of 

 elongated feathers under the wing, forming an axillary 

 plume, and the smaller under wing-coverts bright yellow ; 

 the other under wing-coverts white ; legs, toes, and claws, 

 light brown. 



In spring, the brown tips to the black feathers on the 

 head and neck are lost, leaving these parts of a fine velvet 

 black, which the bird retains till the next autumn moult ; 

 the beak during spring and summer lead blue. 



The whole length of the male bird is six inches and three- 

 quarters. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing 

 three inches and five-eighths : the first three wing-feathers 

 nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing ; the 

 fourth feather about one- eighth shorter than the third. 



The female in winter has less black colour on the top of 

 the head ; the cheeks, ear-coverts, and neck, dull brownish 

 grey, with two dark lines dividing the sides of the neck 

 from the nape : the other colours of the body less pure, 

 and clouded with dull brown. 



Young birds of the year, M. Temminck says, have the 

 throat white, but otherwise resemble adult females. 



