52 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



round base of bill and lores black ; rest of fore-head, forepart 

 of crown, chin, and upper-throat glossy 

 crimson ; back of crown, centre of 

 nape, and hind-neck black, continuing 

 in a band round sides of neck ; sides 

 of nape, ear-coverts, and lower-throat 

 white ; small whitish - brown nuchal 

 spot; mantle, scapulars, and back 

 dark tawny-brown ; rump pale buff ; Goldfinch (Car 

 upper tail-coverts : proximal half black, 

 distal half white with buff-tips ; breast and flanks brown-buff, 

 often with a few yellow marks on sides of breast ; centre of 

 breast, belly, and vent white ; under tail-coverts same tinged 

 buff ; axillaries white often tinged pale yellow ; tail black with 

 small white tips (larger on central feathers) and with large 

 irregular oval white marks on middle of inner webs of two outer 

 pairs and often a small mark on next pair (amount of white varies 

 individually) ; primaries and secondaries black, inner webs fringed 

 white and basal half of outer webs bright yellow (2nd primary 

 has no yellow), all with small white tips becoming larger on inner- 

 most secondaries ; primary-coverts black ; greater coverts bright 

 yellow with basal half black on outer and white on inner webs 

 and innermost feathers buff and black on inner webs ; median 

 and lesser coverts black with small tawny-brown tips. This 

 plumage is acquired by complete moult in Aug.-Sept. Summer. 

 No moult. Abrasion makes back of head browner, nuchal spot 

 whiter, mantle greyer less tawny, under-parts whiter less buff, 

 and white tips of wing- and tail-feathers gradually wear off. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile (Plate 2). Male and female. Whole upper -parts 

 greyish-buff with rather indistinct dark brown spots and streaks ; 

 chin, throat, breast, and flanks same but more whitish ; belly dull 

 white ; vent and under tail-coverts pale buff ; upper tail-coverts 

 pale buff with blackish bases ; tail, primaries, and secondaries as 

 in adult but with tips tinged buff, especially those of tail and inner 

 secondaries ; greater coverts resembling adult but with yellowish- 

 buff instead of bright yellow outer webs and tips ; median coverts 

 black with broad buff tips ; lesser coverts same but with small 

 buff tips. 



First winter and summer. Male and female. Like adults, 

 but with tips of wing- and tail-feathers more buff, less white. 

 The juvenile body-feathers, wing-coverts, and innermost second- 

 aries are moulted in Aug.-Sept. but not primary-coverts, other 

 remiges or rectrices. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 76-80 mm., tail 47-51,. 

 tarsus 13-15, bill from skull 12.5-13.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 73-79. Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 

 about equal and longest, 5th 2-4 mm. shorter, 6th 10-12 shorter ;; 



