32. MONTIFRrNGILLA. 271 



and buffy rufous in the female. The type of the latter is quite a 

 young bird, which accounts for the absence of rosy colour. The 

 true M. hcematopygia is said by Severtzoff to resemble M. brandti, 

 but to have the whole of the rump rosy, with the tips of the feathers 

 crimson ; the lesser wing-coverts ashy, with no rosy on the margin. 



There seems to me to be nothing in these differences of plumage but 

 what can be reasonably accounted for by age. In a large series, such 

 as I have examined (over 50 skins), it is evident that very little stress 

 can be placed on the amount of rose-colour on the rump. In young 

 birds it is apparently feebly developed, and is sometimes absent 

 altogether in winter plumage. 



The winter plumage of the adults differs from the summer plumage 

 in being altogether more tawny buff, and the edges of the feathers 

 becoming shed, the head, and gradually the back, gets black ; 

 curiously enough the red edgings to the wing-coverts are never seen 

 in the black-headed stage, and hence Dr. Severtzoffs contention 

 that this form, the true M. Ticematopygia, is specifically distinct from 

 M, brandti and M.pamirensis. The red margins to the wing-coverts 

 are, however, so much more plain in the winter plumage, that I 

 believe them to be characteristic of that season, being entirely lost 

 by abrasion as the summer plumage is put on. 



Hah. Interior of Himalayas, from Sikhim to Kulu and Upper 

 Cashmere and Ladak, extending into Kashgar and the Thian-Shan 

 mountains. 



a-f. Ad. ; g. Kashgar (Dr. Bellero). India Museum. 



Juv. sk. 

 h, L Ad. sk. Western Thibet. Earl of Gifford [P.]. 



(Types of species.) 

 k, I. Ad. sk. Ladak. Purchased, 



m, n. S ; Chang-la Pass, Ladak, Julv Hume Coll. 



o. $ ad. sk. 11, 1870 (Dr. G. Henderson), 



p, q. Ad. sk. Kulu (Major Hay). India Museum 



r, s, t. Ad. sk. Kulu (Major Hay). Gould Coll. 



u,v,w.<$',x,y. Gilgit, Feb. (J. Biddulph). Hume Coll. 



2 ad. sk. 

 z-e'. Ad. sk. Native Sikhim, April 1 Hume Coll. 



(Z. MandrUi). 

 d'. Ad. sk. Native Sikhim, Julv Hume Coll. 



(L. MandeUi). 

 e'. Ad. sk. Native Sikhim, August Hume Coll. 



(L. MandeUi). 

 f. Ad. sk. Native Sikhim, Sep). Hume Coll. 



(L. MandeUi). 

 g' . J ad. sk. Interior of Sikhim, June Hume Coll. 



(L. MandeUi). 

 h',i ', h'. Ad. sk. Interior of Sikhim, Julv Hume Coll. 



(Z. MandeUi). 

 I', m'. tf ad." sk. Kangra Lama, Sikhim, Oct. 5 Hume Coll. 



(H. J. Elwes). 

 n . Juv. sk. Kanpra Lama, Sikhim W. T. Blanford, Esq. TP 1 



(W. T. B.). 

 o\ p', q'. Ad. sk. Thibet, March (Z. Mandelh). Hume Coll. 

 r'. Ad. sk. Thibet, July (Z. MandeUi). Hume Coll. 



