206 Zoological Society, 



PYRRHULINiE. 



Genus Loxia. 



L. himalayana, mihi. — Structure typical and plumage very similar 

 to that of the European type, and indeed I believe to all the known 

 species ; size small, and most resembling the American bird ; most part 

 of the head and neck and whole body below red, of a hue between 

 roseate and blood, and more or less sordid ; rest of the head, neck, 

 back, wings and tail deep dusky brown, more or less suffused, and 

 emarginated with the richer colour ; wings long, reaching two- 

 thirds down the tail ; 1-3 quills rather shorter than the second ; legs 

 and feet strong; tarse heavily scaled, less the mid-toe and nail; 

 lateral fore- toes equal and basally connected ; hind large, equal alone 

 to the laterals, and, with its large nail, much exceeding them ; claws 

 large, but not greatly curved. Female dusky brown above, slightly 

 suffused and margined with vernal greenish yellow ; below greenish 

 yellow, with dusky centres to the plumes; bill and legs in both 

 blackish ; female smaller. Male measures 5|- inches ; bill, -^ ; tail, 

 ^TB" » wing, 3^ ; tarse, \^ ; central toe and nail, W ; hind, \^. In- 

 habits the Cachar only, near the snows, and rare there. 



To the same region are for the most part confined the other thick- 

 billed Finches of the genera Coccothraustes, Corythus, Pyrrhula, and 

 their allies ; but most of these pass into the central hilly region in 

 spring in search of ripe fruits and berries, and in the winter some of 

 them proceed to the plains in search of food and warmth, or are car- 

 ried there by dealers. The Himalayan Siskin is almost always found 

 in the central region, where indeed it is commoner than in the north- 

 ern ; and one of the roseate Finches is very common below in the 

 winter, under the name of the Tooti or Surkha Tooti. This I believe 

 is the Hcemorhous rosea and Coccothraustes rosea of authors : it is an 

 anomalous or osculant form, which cannot I think be referred to any 

 known genus. I call it PyrrhuUnota, because it unites a semi^* 

 pyrrhuline bill with the wings, tail and feet of Linaria and Linota. 



Genus PyrrhuUnota, mihi. 



Bill Pyrrhulo-Linarian ; wings long and pointed, with the first quill 

 usually longest ; tail deeply forked ; tarse rather shorter than the mid- 

 toe and nail ; toes long, laterals unequal, central long, hind least, but 

 with the nail equal to the inner fore ; nails simple. 



Type, the common Tooti or Surkha Tooti of Hindostan ; Cocco- 

 thraustes roseata of Vieillot ? P. roseata, mihi. 



The other two rosy Finches of the hills are much less known be- 

 low, though they also are found there, in the hands of dealers at 

 least, and are called without distinction Goolabi Tooti. They are 

 the Fringilla rhodopepla and rhodochroa of Vigors, apud Gould ; but 

 they are not I think true Fringill(B, but nearer to Passer. I deno* 

 minate them 



