64 GRAMINIVOR.E. 



eight and a half in the extent of the wings, and its weight 

 about three drachms. The bill, though hard and conical, is 

 not by any means so powerful as that of the gold-finch ; and 

 tjie bird is altogether of softer manners, and more resembling 

 the canary, except in colour, and in being smaller. It also 

 breeds more readily with the canary than the gold-finch does, 

 and the hybrids are said to breed again more freely. 



These birds are, like gold-finches, subject to some variety 

 (perhaps climatal variety) in the colours of their plumage ; 

 but the following are the tints of the male, as usually seen in 

 this country; and probably, from their relation to birds 

 which are subject to few seasonal changes of plumage, they 

 do not vary much all the year round : bill and claws reddish 

 white, the former brownish at the tip ; feet reddish, inclining 

 to pale flesh-colour ; upper parts siskin-green, with the cen- 

 tres of the feathers deep olive-green ; crown of the head and 

 chin black, with a slight greenish tinge, and mixed with green 

 on the nape ; a broad streak behind the ear, the neck, breast, 

 and margins of the quills, greater coverts, and tail-feathers 

 yellow, in some places pale sulphur yellow, and in others the 

 brightest gamboge tints ; the bars of the greater coverts, and 

 centres of the quills and tail-feathers black, with a slight 

 tinge of deep brownish green ; the flanks greyish white, the 

 belly white, and the under tail-coverts white, with dusky 

 streaks and markings. The green and greenish black are the 

 most permanent tints, the yellow varying considerably both 

 in clearness and intensity. In the female, the markings are 

 not so decided, and the upper part is rather brown, and the 

 lower more inclining to greyish white in the general tint. 

 There is no authenticated instance of the nest being found in 

 any part of the British islands ; and the ornithologists of the 

 continent, where the bird certainly does breed in considerable 

 numbers, do not seem to be altogether agreed about the 

 peculiar locality of the nest. 



