198 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



to be formed of much the same materials as that of 

 the Chaffinch. 



The Siskin is a very pretty and gaily-marked hird. 

 The beak is orange-brown, darker at the tip ; irides 

 dark-brown ; top of the head, and higher part of the 

 nape, glossy black, mixed on the nape with olive- 

 green ; there is a light yellow streak over and at 

 the back of the eye and down the sides of the neck ; 

 ear-coverts olive-green; back and scapulars olive- 

 green, with very narrow dark streaks down the 

 centre of each feather ; rump much more yellow, but 

 still tinged with olive-green ; tail-coverts olive-green, 

 tinged with dusky ; lesser wing coverts olive-green, 

 the bases of the feathers dusky ; the greater wing- 

 coverts black at the base and olive-green at the tips ; 

 primary quills dusky, narrowly edged with yellow ; 

 secondaries and tertials yellow at the base, the rest 

 of the feather black, with a narrow margin of yellow 

 towards the tips ; tertials the same, but with broader 

 margins : basal half of the tail-feathers bright light 

 yellow, the tips of all the feathers and outer web of 

 the outside feather on each side black, the shafts of 

 the feathers also are black. The throat in the adult 

 male is black ; under part of the neck, breast and 

 flanks greenish yellow, lighter, almost white, on the 

 flanks and streaked with dark dusky; belly and 

 under tail- coverts white, streaked with dusky ; legs, 

 toes and claws brown. The female has no black on 

 the head or throat, the head being like the back, and 



