98 FRINGILLID^E. 



99. Ligurinus chloris (Linnaeus). The Greenfinch. 



Spanish. Verdon. 



"Found near Tangier as a common resident; others migrate 

 in immense flights, which pass north in February and March, 

 returning in October and November." Famer. 



This species, another of our common British birds, is extremely 

 abundant on both sides of the Straits. Many are resident, 

 nesting during the month of May ; and hundreds are caught 

 in August and September and brought into the markets, where 

 they are exposed for sale in large bunches. The Greenfinch 

 is also a very common cage-bird, for sometimes as many as 

 twenty may be seen, each in a separate cage, hanging outside 

 the wall of a house. What their merits as a cage-bird are it is 

 difficult to understand, as their song, if it can be dignified with 

 the name, is to me positively unpleasant. 



Greenfinches from Morocco and the south of Spain are rather 

 smaller and more brightly coloured than English birds. 



Adult male. General colour above olive -yellow, shaded with ashy grey ; 

 crown more ashy than back ; axillaries bright yellow ; primaries edged 

 with bright yellow reaching to the shaft ; tail black at ends, yellow at the 

 base ; outer tail-feathers yellow at the base of both webs. 



In winter. Browner. 



Female. Browner than male; primaries only margined with yellow; 

 outer tail-feathers edged with yellow on outer web only. 



Young male. Like female, but has primaries and tail as in adult male. 

 Length (j inches. 



100. Carduelis elegans, Stephens. The Goldfinch. 



Moorish. Mouknin. Spanish. Gilguero. Andalucian. Sil- 

 guero. 



"Exceedingly plentiful near Tangier, and resident; but 

 numbers migrate, arriving from about the month of August, 

 to depart again for the north in the month of March." Famer. 



The Goldfinch is, without doubt, the most common and 



