REPORT ON ZOOLOGY, MDCCCXLITI. 



FRINGILLID^E. On the geographic distribution of Frin- 

 f/illa domestica, cisalpina, and kispaniolensis more accurate 

 data have been given. 



Count v. Miihle has never seen F. cisalpina in Greece ; the house Sparrow 

 of that country differs in no respect from the German ; he states F. Jiispanio- 

 lensis to be extremely rare in that country. Lindermayer also says, that the 

 house Sparrow of Greece does not differ from that of Germany, but on the 

 other hand he affirms the occurreuce of F. dscdpina, " rarely in the spring and 

 summer," if this does not arise from his confounding it with F. Inspaniohnsis. 

 Drummond found in Caudia only F. cisalpina, but not F. domestica, whilst flu- 

 latter occurs abundantly in the Ionian Islands ; where, on the other hand, 

 F. cisalpina is entirely wanting. lu Sicily, Malherbe found both F. cisalpina 

 and F. Jiispaniolensis, but not intermixed; F. domestica, on the contrary, is 

 wanting. The Reporter regards F. cisalpina as well as F. Mspaniolensis 

 merely as local, southern varieties of F. domestica, of which F. Jiispaniolensis 

 appertains more especially to the western regions. 



Fringilla ccelebs is met with in Corfu, according to Drummond, at the begin- 

 ning of October, is common during the winter, and disappears towards the end 

 of February; whilst, on the contrary; it breeds abundantly in Candia, at which 

 Drummond is surprised, but which is probably owing simply to the lofty wooded 

 mountains by which the temperature of the latter island is moderated. 

 When Drummoud, on the other hand, assigns F. montium as a resident Bird 

 to both islands, it is evidently a slip of the pen, and he means F. montana, 

 which he does not mention under that name in his catalogue, although it is 

 not wanting in that locality. 



Landbek has given a detailed description of his "Marsh Finch" (FringiUa 

 jialiistris) in the ' Isis,' p. 597. It stands, in form and colour, midway between 

 F. cannabina and F. n/o>/fiitm it has been observed in Alsatia, and farther 

 observations are to be awaited before its true position with regard to the 

 other species can be determined. 



From Passer arctom, Pall, Brandt (Bullet. Scientif. de 1'Acad. de IVHersb. 

 x, p. 251) has formed three distinct species, named by \\\\\\Frinailla (Linaria} 

 Gebleri, brunmonucha, aud grisemucha. However, after receiving more spe- 

 cimens from Siberia, he was convinced that F. Gebleri is identical with Passer 

 (trrtous, var. a., Pall., and he has consequently changed the name into Fringilla 

 arctoa, on which account he has now (Bullet, de la Classe Phys. de Petersb. i, 

 p. 363) transferred the name F. Gebleri to a fourth species allied to the 

 former. Besides these, however, Brandt has instituted a new Siberian spe- 

 cies, Pyrrhula (Con/thus} rhodochhoni/s, resembling P. rosea in size and 

 colour, but wanting the two white wing spots; whilst in that respect, and in 

 the form of the beak, it approaches Coryllnis ntticilla. 



