CHAFFINCH. 



105 



In the adult male Chaffinch in spring plumage the general colour of the 

 upper parts is slate-grey, suffused with chestnut on the mantle, and with 

 yellowish p green on the rump ; the wings are dark brown, the outside web 

 margined with dull yellow ; the median wing-coverts are white, and the 

 greater wing-coverts are black, tipped with yellow ; the tail is dark brown, 

 with a considerable amount of white on two and sometimes three of the 

 outer feathers at each side ; the forehead is black ; the lores, the feathers 

 round the eye, the ear-coverts, cheeks, and the whole of the underparts are 

 pale chestnut-brown, suffused with pink on the belly, and shading into 

 nearly white on the under tail-coverts. Bill lead-blue in summer, fleshy 

 pink, darkest at the tip, in winter ; legs, feet, and claws brown ; hides 

 hazel. The female differs from the male in having the slate-grey of the 

 upper parts replaced by brown, and by having the underparts much paler. 

 After the autumn moult the slate-grey feathers of the upper parts have 

 brown edges, the white on the wings is suffused with yellow, and the 

 underparts are paler. Young males in first plumage somewhat closely 

 resemble females ; but assume an intermediate plumage after their first 

 autumn moult. 



