CHAFFINCH. 61 



with yellowish white, forming a conspicuous bar; some of the 

 lesser wing coverts are fine bluish lead-colour, others white, 

 and others tipped with white, forming another conspicuous 

 bar. The three first primaries are brownish black, edged with 

 yellowish or buff white on the outer web; the remainder are 

 white at the base, forming a distinct spot, with part of their 

 inner webs white, and the inner half of the outer webs mar- 

 gined with pale yellow. The first quill feather is about an 

 eighth of an inch shorter than the second, third, and fourth, 

 which are nearly equal, and the longest in the wing, the 

 third rather the longest of the three; the fifth is rather shorter 

 than the first. Secondaries, as some of the primaries, namely, 

 white at the base, with part of their inner webs white, and 

 the inner half of the outer webs margined with pale yellow; 

 tertiaries, the same, but more broadly margined with the pale 

 yellow; larger and lesser under wing coverts, greyish white. 

 The tail has the two middle feathers lead-colour, tinged with 

 olive, blackish along the shafts, and the other next ones black, 

 the outside one on each side being obliquely marked with 

 white on the inner web, and the whole, or part of the outer 

 web is of that colour; the next feather is also tipped with a 

 triangular-shaped patch of white on the inner .web; the tail 

 is very slightly forked; upper tail coverts, lead-colour, tinged 

 with olive; under tail coverts, dull white, as the lower part 

 of the breast. Legs, toes, and claws, dusky reddish or brown. 



After the autumnal moult, the colours of the feathers are 

 much obscured, losing their brightness, and the edges wear 

 away, but by the beginning of April, or even so early as 

 January, the black of the forehead becomes nearly pure, the 

 greyish blue of the head nearly unmixed, and the breast 

 brighter in tint. 



Female; length, from about five inches and three quarters 

 to six inches, or six and a quarter; bill, brownish dull pale 

 red colour; iris, as in the male. Head on the crown, greyish 

 olive, paler on the central part; on the sides it is olive; chin, 

 throat, and breast, brownish white, or dull fawn-colour, with 

 a very faint tinge of red. Back, dull light greyish brown on 

 the upper part, and on the lower part pale dull yellowish 

 green. The wings, which extend to the width of ten inches, 

 have the white bars and spots as in the male, but less con- 

 spicuous. The primaries and secondaries have yellow edges 

 also as in the male, and the black is changed for deep brown ; 

 under tail coverts, nearly white. 



