FRINGILLA SPODIOGENYS 21-5 



Entire head brownisb-grey, becoming bluish on nape and sides of the 

 neck ; back brownish-green ; rump greenish ; upper tail-coverts bluish- 

 grey ; wiugs and tail as in male, but duller ; underparts pale brownish-grey, 

 becoming lighter on the abdomen and vent. 



Soft parts as in the male ; measurements rather less. 



Observations. — The female of F. spodioijciujs may be easily distinguished 

 from that of F. ccelebs by the far greater amount of white on the wings, 

 particularly on the bases of the secondaries. The general colour of the 

 upper parts is also greyer and less brown than in F. Calebs. In size there is 

 also a difference, F. ccelebs being rather smaller than F'. spodiogemjs. 



The winter plumage of both sexes is rather duller than the spring one, 

 and at that season the head and back show some brownish feathers. 



In Tunisia this species is the representative Chaffinch of the 

 country, occurring abundantly in the Kegency wherever the environ- 

 ment may be adapted to its requirements. In many parts of Northern 

 Tunisia, particularly where there are orchards and olive-groves, this 

 ChafBnch is remarkably plentiful, and by no means shuns the neigh- 

 bom:hood of buildings, although it also frequents the open country 

 far from any human dwellings. In Central Tunisia it also occurs 

 plentifully in certain districts, especially in those situated near the east 

 coast, where extensive tracts of olive-groves abound. Further south 

 in the Eegeucy the distribution of the species is somewhat peculiar, as 

 it apparently occurs in only a few of the oases, and not in all of them. 

 The Gafsa Oasis is one of the favoured few, probably owing to its 

 fine olive-groves and orchards. Mr. Aplin also met with this Chaffinch 

 in the Oasis of El Guettar, to the south-east of Gafsa, and M. Blanc 

 has found it at Tatahouine still further south. 



In Algeria F. spodiogenys is as abundant as it is in Tunisia, in 

 districts where the environment is suitable. In Marocco it is also 

 abundant, and my collection contains a large series of specimens 

 from different parts of the Empire. The Maroccan Chaffinch has 

 been separated by Messrs. Rothschild and Hartert from typical 

 F. s'podiogenys as a subspecies, under the name Fringilla spodiogenys 

 Jcoenigl, but scarcely, I think, on sufficient grounds. Comparing my 

 large series of Chaffinches in full breeding plumage from Marocco with 

 those from Tunisia, I find that they certainly differ slightly from the 

 latter in being a little darker and richer in colouring, but the difference 

 appears to me to be too slight to warrant separation. Birds in Marocco 

 in general are rather darker than those obtained further east. 



