50 BRITISH BIRDS. 
Genus PYRRHULA. 
The Bullfinches were included by Linnzeus in his genus Lowia, where it 
is a great pity that they were not allowed to remain; but Brisson having 
in 1760, in his ‘ Ornithologia,’ ii. p. 308, already established the genus 
Pyrrhula for their reception, it has been almost universally accepted by 
ornithologists. The Common Bullfinch, the Pyrrhula pyrrhula of Brisson, 
is the type. . 
The chief characters by which the Bullfinches may be distinguished 
from the rest of the Finches are the convex profile of the bill, the metallic 
blue-black wings and tail, and the white rump. The latter character is 
perhaps the most conspicuous; but unfortunately in one species, P. awran- 
tiaca from the Himalayas, the white is suffused with yellow, and in another, 
P.murina from the Azores, it is so much suffused with brown as to be 
scarcely distinguishable from the back. The black wings and tail are also 
more or less common to the genus Coccothraustes, though in most of the 
species in this genus there is a considerable amount of white either on the 
one or the other. These two genera are so closely connected, that it is 
impossible to decide to which Pyrrhula nipalensis should be assigned. In 
its general appearance it is undoubtedly a Bullfinch; but the rump is 
almost concolorous with the back, and it agrees with Coccothraustes 
personatus and C. melanurus in the eccentric character of its tail. 
This genus has a more restricted range than any other in this subfamily, 
being almost confined to the Palearctic Region, extending as far north as 
the Arctic circle, as far south as the southern slopes of the Himalayas, 
and eastwards across Behring’s Straits into Alaska. About a dozen 
species have been described, of which several are only worthy of subspecific 
rank. Only one species is found in the British Islands, which is repre- 
sented in Eastern Europe by a larger form. No other species occur in 
the Western Palearctic Region except the one already alluded to, which 
inhabits the Azores. 
The Bullfinches inhabit well-wooded districts, and frequent shrubberies, 
gardens, forests, hedges, and groves. In their habits, local distribution, 
and food they resemble very closely the Rose-Finches, but are not so 
gregarious in winter and are more retiring, especially in the breeding- 
season. Their nests are open and do not differ materially from those of 
the Crossbills and Grosbeaks, nor is it known that there is any charac- 
teristic difference in the colour or number of their eggs. 
