494 



EMBERIZID.E. 



all the under surface of the body, bright lemon-yellow, 

 clouded on the breast and flanks with reddish brown ; under 

 wing and tail-coverts yellow ; under surface of wing and 

 tail feathers grey ; legs, toes, and claws, light brown. 



The whole length of the bird seven inches. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, three inches and a 

 half: the first three primaries nearly equal in length, but 

 the first rather the longest ; the fourth a little shorter than 

 the third, and the fifth one quarter of an inch shorter than 

 the fourth. 



The female has much less yellow about the head, and 

 her colours are in general much less vivid. 



Young birds have no yellow colour on the head till after 

 their first autumn moult, and the head is patched with 

 dusky black. Young males after their first moult have 

 the yellow colour much more mixed with greyish dusky 

 spots than older males : the bright lemon-yellow colour in 

 very old males is extended over a larger surface. 



