fkingilt.in.t:. 135 



Westwards tlic range of this species extends to JManchnria^ Eastern 

 Siberia, and the Corean Peninsula. 



100. FRINGILLA SPINUS. 



(SISKIN.) 



Fringilla sirinus, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 322 (17G6). 



The Siskin is the smallest Fineh found in the Japanese Empire 

 (wing from carpal joint about 2| inches). It is a small Greenfinch 

 with a more slender bill. The male has a black crown. The flanks 

 are streaked in the adult of both sexes as well as in the young. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iii. pi. 169. 



The Siskin appears to be only a winter visitor to the Japanese 

 Islands. It is common in the woods near Hakodadi in autumn 

 (Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 201), and in the Pryer collection there are 

 eight examples from the neighbourhood of Yokohama. It appears 

 in large flocks in autumn and winter in Central Hondo (Jouy, Proc. 

 United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 297). Mr. Ringer obtained it at 

 Nagasaki, where it was also procured by the Siebold expedition 

 (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, p. 89) ; and it has 

 been recorded ft'om the central group of the Loo-Choo Islands (Stej- 

 neger, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 1886, p. 651). 



Westwards we find the Siskin breeding in the lower Amoor and 

 wintering in South China; but beyond this range it is not known 

 that the Siskin occurs, except west of the Ural Mountains, whence 

 its range extends to the British Islands. It is highly improbable 

 that the range of the Siskin is discontinuous, and it will most 

 probably be found to extend to the mountain-ranges of Southern 

 Siberia. 



Eastern examples have been described as distinct under the name 

 of Chrysomitris dybowskii (Taczanowski, Jouru. Orn. 1876, p. 199), 

 but I have failed to discover the alleged diff'erence. 



101. FRINGILLA LINARIA. 



(MEALY REDPOLE.) 



FringiUa linaria, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 322 (176G). 



In the Mealy Redpole the forehead and the front half of the crown 

 is crimson ; the breast is also frequently suflFused with rosy pink. 

 Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iv. pi. 187. 



