92 



browner than the female of lineola, and lacks the 

 olive tinge of that species, and is much browner 

 below. Total length 4 in., tail 16 in. 



The Bluish Finch 

 29. i>". ccerulescens. Fig. 4, uncoloured plate. 



This is very similar to albigularis in plumage, and 

 compared with that species its song is much inferior; 

 nevertheless, it is a pleasing species, and merits a 

 place in all collections of Finches, but unfortunately 

 it is but seldom that an opportunity occurs for obtain- 

 ing it ; up to the present, with the exception of 

 albigularis, all the genus are only occasionally to be 

 purchased. I do not consider it merits a separate 

 description : it differs from albigtdaris in its slightly 

 smaller size {ccerulesce7is 4J in., albigularis 4f in. full. 

 some specimens quite 4J in.), and black chin-patch, 

 its nest is strong and cup-shaped ; its eggs are white, 

 spotted with either black or grey. 



" The male in seasonal plumage is washed with olive brown 

 " on the back, wings and tail, and the head and ear-coverts are 

 "ashy grey, the black being visible only on the base of the 

 " forehead, lores and fore part of the ear-coverts. It is evident 

 "that in the full plumage the ashy grey colour becomes 

 "abraded and the black spreads over the crown. The black 

 "spot on the throat and the band on the fore neck are both 

 "overshaded with grey." (B. M. C, Vol. XII.) 



The adult female is mostly olive brown above, 

 wing- and tail-feathers, dusky brown edged with olive 

 brown ; eye region and cheeks, dull white washed 

 with ochreous on the cheeks ; under surface mostly 

 huffish brown, pale and washed with yellowish on the 

 abdomen ; under tail-coverts, huffish ochre. Total 

 length 4J in, bare, tail if in, 



{To be continued.) 



