526 FRINGILLID A. 
The beak of the adult male in summer is a bluish lead 
colour; from the base of the upper mandible to the eye 
a black streak ; the irides hazel; top of the head bluish 
grey; over the ear-coverts, nape of the neck, back, and 
wings, rich rufous brown, the centre of each feather nearly 
black; some of the smaller wing-coverts tipped with 
white ; the greater wing-coverts and tertials broadly edged 
with rufous brown; the primaries with narrow outer edges 
of brown; upper tail-coverts uniform pale brown ;_ tail- 
feathers dark brown, edged with lighter brown ; tail nearly 
square; the chin and throat black; cheeks and sides of 
the neck greyish white ; breast dull greyish brown spotted 
with black; belly and under tail-coverts greyish white ; 
legs, toes, and claws, brown. 
The whole length rather more than six inches. From 
the carpal joint to the end of the wing, three inches: the 
first three quill-feathers nearly equal in length, but the se- 
cond rather the longest ; the fourth feather a little shorter 
than the third; the fifth more than one-eighth of an inch 
shorter than the fourth. 
The female has the beak brown; the head and neck of 
a uniform brown colour; the edges of the feathers on the 
back and wings are buff colour; chin, throat, breast, and 
all the under surface of the body, pale wood-brown, rather 
darker in colour on the sides and flanks. 
Black, white, and buff-coloured varieties of this species 
are not uncommon. 
