SISKIN. 
277 
the wings are black, the quills and secondaries 
tipped with white, the proportion increasing on 
the latter ; across both is an irregular bar of 
rich yellow produced by the basal half of the 
outer web of each being of that colour ; the tail, 
slightly forked, is black, the four centre feathers 
(at least) being always tipped with white ; on the 
inner webs of the two outer pairs is a large oval 
patch of white, which is indicated on the third pair. 
In the female the colours are all less decided and 
brilliant. In the first plumage the young birds 
want the black and crimson on the head, and 
the other markings are more undecided, the 
under parts slightly waved across ; as the season 
advances they gradually attain their full dress, 
but the birds of late broods may be known in 
the spring by a slight intermixture of black with 
the crimson of the chin and forehead. 
The Siskin, Carduelus spinos, Selby 
Fringilla spinus, Linn. — The Siskin, or Aber- 
devine of British authors . — The Siskin is an 
example of the other distribution of the shades of 
the plumage which we alluded to in our short 
remarks upon the genus. It is here entirely 
black and yellow, tempered by shades of olive, 
forming together a very chaste and pleasing mix- 
ture- This species in Britain is more locally 
distributed than the last, is migratory to a certain 
extent in winter, and its appearance seems to 
depend on some circumstances with which we 
