98 FBINGILLID.E. 



also of this species that were taken in Coombc Wood in 

 Surrey, were placed in furze at only two or three feet from 

 the ground ; and the two above mentioned were also in 

 bushes not more than four or five feet from the ground, 

 although in one case fir-trees in great plenty were near at 

 hand. 



The song of the Siskin is very sweet, full, and rich ; it 

 has also much variety, and is by many amateurs preferred to 

 that of the canary, which it resembles in sprightiiness, without 

 being too loud. 



The entire length of this little species is four inches and a 

 half. The wings measure from the carpus to the tip two 

 inches and three quarters, and cover, when closed, the greater 

 part of the tail, the longest feathers of which exceed the wings 

 only half an inch. The beak measures four lines and a half, 

 from the forehead to the tip ; the tarsi are half an inch long, 

 and the claws very slender and sharp. 



The characters of the genus Carduelis, -comprising this 

 and the following species, are, according to Selby, as follows : 

 — " Bill conical, longer than deep, compressed anteriorly, 

 and drawn to a very acute point : culmen of each mandible 

 narrow : tomia of the upper mandible angulated at the base, 

 and slightly sinuated : nostrils basal, lateral, and hidden by 

 incumbent bristles : wings of mean length, the first quill- 

 feather rather shorter than the second and third, which are 

 nearly equal and the longest of all : tail rather short and 

 forked : legs having the tarsi short ; &c. 



The male has the forehead and crown velvet-black, with a 

 brown tinge : a sulphur-yellow streak passes over the eye to- 

 wards the nape : the ear-coverts, nape, back, and scapulars, 

 are oil or siskin green, the two latter streaked along the shaft 

 with dusky lines : the lower part of the back greenish yellow. 

 The chin (in males of three years old and upwards) is black. 

 The breast is yellow, shading into white upon the belly ; the 



