530 FRINGILLID^E. 



coverts and the tertials grey; the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts of a brighter yellow than the body ; the two mid- 

 dle tail-feathers shorter than the others, and greyish brown ; 

 the rest on each side have the basal half gamboge yellow, 

 the terminal part greyish brown ; the form of the tail 

 forked ; the chin, throat, breast, belly, and under tail-co- 

 verts, light wax yellow, inclining to grey on the sides of the 

 body, and to gamboge yellow on the belly and under tail-co- 

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

 under surface of the basal half of the tail-feathers pale yel- 

 low, 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 extend so far along each feather. 



