EMBERIZA C^SIA. 155 



Emberiza csesia. 



Emberiza csesia, Cretzschm. in Riipp. Atlas, p. 17, pi. 10, fig. b. (1826) 

 Abyssinia; Sharpe, Cat. Birds, B. M. xii. p. 535(1888); Hartert, 

 Kat. Yog. Mus. Senck. p. 51 (1891) Scnnaar ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. 

 No. 243 (1896) ; Cholmley, Ibis, 1897. p. 206, Erba Mt. ; Rothschild 

 and Wollaston, Ibis, 1902, p. 9 Shencli. 



Adult male. Head, neck and crop uniform bluish grey with the fore part 

 of the sides of the head, chin, middle throat, and a band beneath the ear- 

 coverts very pale cinnamon ; back, v?ings and tail as in E. hortulana, only 

 with no trace of yellow on the under wing-coverts. Chest, abdomen, thighs 

 and under tail-coverts pale cinnamon, generally slightly darker than the 

 centre of the throat. Iris brown ; bill pale reddish brown ; legs brownish 

 flesh colour. Total length 60 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 3-2, tail 2-6, 

 tarsus 0-7. Abyssinia (Shelley, Coll.). 



Adiilt female. Differs from the male in the grey of the head and neck 

 being duller and browner and there being dark streaks on the crown, back 

 of neck and crop. Total length 5-8 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 3-0, tail 26, 

 tarsus 0-7. 2 , Mt. Carmel (Tristram). 



Cretzsclimar's Ortolan ranges from Abyssinia into Europe 

 and Arabia. Riippell, who discovered the species, procured a 

 specimen in Sennaar and met with it in the Abyssinian high- 

 lands and on Kurgos island in 17° N. lat. I am not aware of 

 the species having been found further south than the Blue 

 Nile, where Brehm records it as very common in November. 

 Heuglin informs us that they arrive in Abyssinia and Arabia, 

 generally in flocks, at the beginning of September and breed 

 occasionally near Cairo. 



Genus II. FRINGILLAEIA. 



The members of this genus closely resemble those of Emberiza, and 

 may be best distinguished by their having no white ends to the tail-feathers, 

 the absence of yellow on the plumage being also characteristic, as this 

 colour is generally strongly pronounced in Ethiopian members of the genus 

 Emberiza, 



Fringillaria ranges through south and tropical Africa to India, and an 

 aberrant member of the genus is an inhabitant of Japan. There are nine 

 species, of which four are confined to the African continent, and one to the 

 island of Socotra. 



