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The Red-headed Greenfinch, 
‘T'HIS is of the Number of very beautiful Birds; it is here figured of the big- 
nefs of Life ; I take it rather to be of the thick and hard-bill’d Kind, than 
of fiender-bill’d Birds, who live moftly on Infe&s, yet the Bill is not fo big in 
proportion as in moft fmall Birds, called Hard-bill’d Birds ; but many American Birds 
differ fo much in little Circumftances, that one cannot eafily conclude what Euro¬ 
pean Birds to range them with: The Bill is of a light brownifh or Horn-colour ; 
its Shape is very well exprelfed in the Figure; the Head is of a red Colour, not 
bright Scarlet, but fomething dull, and inclining to a high-coloured Orange ; 
round the Neck is a yellow Ring, which points upwards a little under the Bill; 
the Neck, Back, Wings and Tail, are of a fine Parrot-green j the greater Quills 
towards their Pips, are dufky; on the upper Part of the Wing, near the Joint or 
Bend, is a roundilh yellow Spot, near Half an Inch in Breadth ; the Bread; and 
Belly, as low as the Thighs, are of a pleafant light blue Colour; the upper Part of 
the Thighs, lower Belly, and under the Tail, are Green j Part of the Thighs next 
the Legs are Yellow; the Legs, Feet, and Claws, of a light brown Colour. 
This Bird is in the Duke of Richmond’s Cabinet; it came from Surinam . Where 
my Subjects have been Birds out of Spirits, or otherwife preferved, I have made no 
mention of the Colour of their Eyes, not knowing what Colour they have been 
of; though a Brother Author that has lately publifhed fome hundreds of Birds, 
was not pleafed to do fo, for he has given Irides of very beautiful and Ihining Co¬ 
lours, both in Defcription and Colouring, to many Birds which he never faw alive, 
or newly dead, or any Perfon who could inform him. Mr. Dandridge , in Moorfields t 
is pofieffed of many of the Birds, from which his Defcriptions were taken, who 
has told me, that he himfelf never knew what Colour the Eyes of thefe Birds were 
of, fo could not pretend to tell it to another. I cannot find that the above defcrib’d 
Bird has been before taken notice of by any one. 
The 
