400 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



200. — Red-fronted Finch [Rothkopfigee Girlitz]. 

 FRINGILLA PUSILLA, PaUas.i 



Passer jyusillus. Pallas, Zoogr. Eoss.-Asiat., ii. 28. 



Red-fronted Finch. Dresser, iii. 561. 



A beautiful male of this interesting species, with the head- 

 markings as scarlet-red as those of a Fire-crested Wren, was seen on 

 the 7th May 1886 sitting on the throstle-bush belonging to a young 

 fowler here ; and was so free from shyness as to allow itself to be 

 looked at from a distance of a few paces. Unfortunately, I missed 

 getting this valuable example, as the man thought he could catch it 

 alive in his net ; in this, however, on account of the meshes being 

 too large, he did not succeed. According to his description, the red 

 colour was most beautifully developed on the top of the head, and 

 was somewhat more yellowish towards the forehead. This shows 

 how near, and with what leisure, he had been able to examine the 

 bird. During this particular May there was a very strong migra- 

 tion on many days ; and on the 2nd of June I obtained my second 

 example of Alanda sihirica, a fine old female. 



Pallas first found this species in the Caucasus. Its breeding 

 home extends through the mountains of Turkestan, the Taurus, 

 Lebanon, and undoubtedly the Altai Range. In 187(3 C. G. 

 Danford brought the eggs of this bird, as well as of Sylvia meso- 

 leuca — both unknown until then — from the Taurus. 



201. — Greenfinch [Grunhanfling]. 

 FRINGILLA CHLORIS, Meyer.^ 

 Heligolandish : Kort Guhl-KIutjer = /S/tor< Yelloitj-Hammcr. 

 Fringilla chloris. Naumann, v. 64. 

 Green Finch. Dresser, iii. 575. 



Ch'os-hec verdier. Temminck, ManiuJ, i. 346, iii. 254. 



I am at a loss to explain what could have induced the Hcligo- 

 landers, Avho are otherwise so good at drawing distinctions, to 

 designate this Finch as a Bunting. When we reflect that they do 

 not call the Common Kestrel a Falcon but a Beetle-Hawk — do not 

 class the three Yellow AVagtails {Biulytes) among Motacilla, nor the 

 Tawny Pipit with Anthus — we cannot comprehend how they could 

 have made such a blunder in regard to the Greenfinch. How- 



' SerimispusiUud (Pall.). - Ligurinus chloris (Liun.). 



