204 PASSERINE. CHLOROSPIZA. PASSER. 



line straight, the back and sides convex, the edges inflected ; 

 the gape-line slightly arched. Mouth rather narrow ; tongue 

 narrow, pointed, slightly bifid. Digestive organs as in the 

 other genera. Head large ; neck short ; body moderate. 

 Legs short ; tarsus compressed, with seven scutella ; toes mo- 

 derate. Plumage blended ; wings of moderate length, the 

 outer three quills almost equal ; tail rather short, emarginate. 



129. CHLOROSPIZA CHLORIS. GREENFINCH. 



Male with the upper parts and breast yellowish-green, the 

 head tinged with grey ; the edges of the wing, outer webs of 

 alula, and part of outer webs of primary quills, with the basal 

 part of the tail-feathers, yellow. Female with the upper 

 parts greenish-brown, the breast greyish-brown, the wings and 

 tail marked with yellow as in the male, but to a less extent. 

 Young similar to the female, w r ith faint brown streaks on the 

 back. 



Male, 61 10J, 3^, , f, ft, T y Female, 6, 10. 



The Greenfinch is generally dispersed, and permanently re- 

 sident. Its notes scarcely deserve the name of song, and one 

 of them is easily recognised by its peculiar screechy sound. 

 The nest is constructed of fibrous roots, twigs, and straws, 

 lined with fibres, moss, and hair. The eggs, from four to six, 

 are nearly eleven- twelfths long, eight in breadth, bluish-white, 

 spotted with purplish-grey, blackish-brown, and reddish- 

 brown, with some dusky streaks. Two broods are generally 

 reared. In autumn Greenfinches collect into large flocks, 

 which, until spring, search the stubble-fields and corn-yards, 

 often in company with Yellow Buntings and Linnets. 



Green Linnet. Green Grosbeak. 



Loxia Chloris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 304. Fringilla Chloris, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 346. Linaria Chloris, Green Lin- 

 net, or Greenfinch, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 365. 



GENUS LXV. PASSER. SPARROW. 



Bill shortish, straight, conical, subpentagonal and nearly 

 as broad as high at the base ; upper mandible with the dor- 

 sal line declinate and slightly arched, the ridge narrow but 

 obtuse, the sides much rounded, the edges inflected, but 

 overlapping, with an obsolete notch or slight sinus close to 

 the acute tip ; lower mandible somewhat smaller, with the 



