21 



FRINGILLA CARDUELIS. 



Syst. Nat. 318. 



THE GOLDFINCH, 



PLATE XXI. 



X he bill is straight, sharp -pointed, and of a pale yel- 

 low, except the tip, which is black. The eyes are 

 small and brown. Round the base of the bill is a list 

 of small downy black feathers, which on each side rmis 

 up to the eyes. The forehead, throat, lower jaws, 

 and cheeks, are of a bright shining blood-colour. 



On each side of the face is a bed of white feathers 

 extended above and below the eye. The crown of the 

 head is black, a list of which colour falls down behind 

 the white, on each side of the face. The back part of 

 the head, the neck, the back, and rump, are red-brown, 

 with a cast of chesnut. The coverts of the tail are 

 black, with white tips and edges. 



The tail consists of twelve feathers. The two mid- 

 dle ones have white tips. The two outmost have each 

 a white spot on the inner web. All the rest of the tail 

 is black. 



The quill feathers are black, having white tips, and 

 half the length of their exterior edges of a lovely yel- 

 low. The lower half of the larger covert feathers are 

 of the same yellow. The breast is of a reddish brown. 

 The belly and under coverts of the tail white. 



The Goldfinch feeds on the seeds of aggregate flow- 

 ers, particularly those of the various species of thistle. 

 I have figured him feeding on the common * spear 

 thistle. 



* Carduus lanceolatus. 



