glance. And so, too, may the yellow and the grey wagtails. 
The last named has the longest tail of all, and is further 
marked by his beautiful grey back and bright sulphur 
abdomen and under tail coverts. All have white feathers 
in the tail. The pipits and skylarks, like the wagtails, have 
very long inner secondaries, but they can never be confused 
on this account. They can never be mistaken for wagtails, 
but on the other hand, the several species can be distinguished, 
when on the wing, only by long practice. 
The chaffinch, greenfinch, and goldfinch are with us all 
the year round, keeping each to his favourite haunts. Most 
people know them well. But one meets even people living 
in the heart of the country who cannot call them by name ! 
The cock chaffinch can be distinguished at once by its white 
“ shoulders,”’ and white bars across the wing, apart from the 
bright hues of the body, so well shown in the adjoining 
Plate. The hen has similar wing-marks, but lacks the bright 
colours of her lord. His cousin, the brambling—who comes 
to us in the winter—is just as easily identified by his orange- 
coloured shoulder patch—in place of white—and white rump, 
which is most conspicuous during flight. The greenfinch is 
marked, when in flight, by the yellow rump and bright yellow 
patches at the base of the tail-feathers. Who could mistake 
the goldfinch for any one else but himself? He looks like 
a butterfly as he flutters about on the tops of tall thistles. 
2Ir 
