certainly abundant in Germany, France, Provence, Spain,
and Ita ly ; Mr. Strickland says it is common at Smyrna, and
the Zoological Society have received specimens sent by Keith
Abbott, Esq. from Trebizond.
The beak is whitish horn colour, black at the tip ; irides
dusky brown ; the whole circumference at the base of the
beak crimson red ; cheeks and ear-coverts white ; top of the
head black, which colour descends from the occiput in a band
on each side of the neck; nape of the neck below the occipital
band white; back, scapulars, and rump, dusky wood-
brown ; carpal portion of the wing, and the smaller wing-
coverts, black; greater wing-coverts, and the outer edge of
the basal half of each primary, brilliant gamboge yellow; the
remaining portion of the primaries, and nearly all the other
quill-feathers black; the tertials with a spot of white at the
tip ; upper tail-coverts greyish white: tail-feathers black ; the
outer feather on each side with an oval-shaped spot of white
on the inner web ; tail in form slightly forked. Chin, as
before remarked, crimson red, around it white; the whole of
the under surface of the body dull white ; tinged on the sides
of the neck, the throat, on the breast, sides of the body, and
on the thighs, with wood-brown ; under wing-coverts white ;
legs and toes pale flesh colour; claws brown.
The whole length of the bird five inches. From the carpal
joint to the end of the wing, two inches and seven
eighths: the first, second, and third quill-feathers, nearly
equal in length, the first rather the longest; the fourth, one-
eighth shorter than the third.
In the females, the red on the forehead and chin occupies
smaller space, and is frequently speckled with black; the
lesser wing-coverts are brown, and the other colours generally
are less brilliant.
In young birds of the year, which for distinction’s sake are
called by the bird-catchers and bird-dealers, Branchers, the
whole of the head, neck, back, and sides of the chest, are
nearly uniform greyish brown ; the other parts resemble in
colour those of the female. “ The black begins to appear on
the head of the young Goldfinches about the middle of September,
and the red at the end of that month. On one
which was kept in confinement, the black colour first showed
itself on the 1st of October, and was perfect on the first of
November; the face was covered with a dull orange, much
mixed with black ; it is some time before the head assumes
its perfect cohering.”*
Field Naturalist’s Magazine.