FRINGILLAUDA. 247 



According to Adams this species breeds in Ladak and Little 

 Tibet, constructing its nest in the long dykes built by the Tartars 

 over their dead. 



Genus FRINGILLAUDA, Hodgs., 1836. 



The genus Frinc/illauda resembles Montifringilla, but the bill is 

 more slender and the tail is forked, the middle feathers being 

 considerably shorter than the outer. There is moreover no white 

 in the wings and tail except on the margins. 



The birds of this genus, like those of the last, are found at 

 considerable altitudes and feed on the ground in flocks. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Wing nearly 4 ; no rose-colour on rump or 



wing-coverts. 



a'. Axillaries yellow F. nemoricola, p. 247. 



b'. Axillaries pale ashy F. sordida, p. 248. 



b. Wing nearly 5 ; rump and wing-coverts 



suffused with rose-colour F. hrandti, p. 248. 



786. Fringillauda nemoricola. Hodgson s Mountain- Finch. 



Fringillauda nemoricola, Hodgs. As. Res. xix, p. 158 (1836) ; Horsf. 

 Sf M. Cat. ii, p. 491 (part.) ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 414 (part.) ; Blanf. 

 J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 60 ; Hume, S. F. i, p. 41 ; id. Cat. 

 no. 753. 

 Montifringilla nemoricola (Hodffs.), Blytlu Cat. p. 121 (part.) : 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xii, p. 2G8. . 

 The Himalayan Lark-Finch, Jerd. (part.). 



Fig. 69. — Head of F. nemoricola. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, nape, hind neck, back, scapulars, 

 and lesser wing-coverts dark brown, with rufous margins ; rump 

 ashy grey ; upper tail-coverts black, with distinct white margins ; 

 tail brown, with narrow pale margins; median wing-coverts ashy 

 brown, with white margins ; greater coverts brown, mottled with 

 black and tipped white ; primary-coverts tipped with dark brown 

 and edged with ashy ; quills brown, margined with rufous, and the 

 inner webs of the tertiaries black ; a broad but indistinct super- 

 cilium ashy white streaked with brown ; sides of the head and 

 neck rufous-brown, the cheeks and the part under the eye streaked 

 with brown ; lower plumage plain brown, the sides of the breast 

 streaked with darker brown, most of the feathers edged paler, the 



