106 GOLDFINCH. 



the inner half yellow on the outer webs, except that of the 

 first, the tips white; the second quill feather is the longest, 

 but only slightly over the first, which is a little longer than 

 the third; tertiaries, with a spot of white at the tip; greater 

 and lesser under wing coverts, white. The tail, which is 

 black tipped with white, is slightly forked and rather short; 

 the two outer feathers have a large oval-shaped white spot on 

 the inner web; upper tail coverts, greyish white. Legs and 

 toes, pale dusky brown; claws, dusky brown. 



The female is not so brilliant in colour; length, rather 

 over four inches and three quarters; the head has less crimson 

 on the crown, and it is frequently mingled with black, and 

 the black is mixed with grey and brown; the white on the 

 side of the neck is tinged with brown. The chin has less 

 crimson; the breast duller white on the lower part. The 

 wings expand to the width of a little over eight inches and 

 three quarters ; the white tips of the feathers are tinged with 

 brown, and the black is less deep; lesser wing coverts, brown; 

 the tail is not so bright a black. 



The young present, in some respects, the same general 

 appearance as the old birds, but the colours are fainter. The 

 bill, pale pink; the head, on the crown, has the black much 

 mixed with grey, and the rest brown; the black comes out 

 about the end of September, or beginning of October, and the 

 red at the end of that month. Neck on tbe back, and nape, 

 greyish brown; the breast, brownish grey. 



Montagu says that a variety is sometimes taken with white 

 spots under the throat. In confinement varieties occur, black, 

 black and white, and white. 



