PTRBHTTLA EUROP^A 223 



sea-level, and was described by me as a new species under the name of 

 Bhodopechys aliena (Bull. B. 0. C. vii, p. 18). This Maroccan form 

 of Crimson-winged Finch closely resembles E. sanguinea (Gould), 

 but differs from it in certain respects, as pointed out in my original 

 description ; possibly the specimens seen by Loche and Alessi, as 

 mentioned above, are referable to it and not to typical E. sanguinea. 



Mr. Dodson appears to have met with this Finch only at Glaoui, 

 and the bird is evidently not common in Marocco. 



If any Crimson-winged Finch is to be found in Tunisia, it should 

 probably be looked for on the higher mountains of the west or south- 

 west of the Regency. 



PYRRHULA EUROP.ffiA, Vieillot. 



BULLFINCH. 



Pyrrhula europaea, Vieill. Nouv. Diet, iv, p. 286 (1816) ; Sharpe Cat. 



Birds Brit. Mus. xii, p. 447. 

 Pyrrhula vulgaris, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 159 (1867) ; Koenig, 



J. f. 0. 1893, p. 54. 



Description. — Adult male, winter, from Italy. 



Upper part of the head and chin glossy black ; mantle and back bluish- 

 grey ; rump white ; wings, upper tail- coverts and tail glossy purple-black ; 

 larger wing-coverts tipped with white, forming an alar bar ; cheeks and 

 underparts bright red ; crissum and under tail-coverts white. 



Iris dark brown ; bill black ; feet dark brown. 



Total length 6 inches, wing 3-50, culmea '45, tarsus '75. 



Adult female has the head dull black, the upper parts greyish-brown, 

 and the underparts vinous-brown. 



The Bullfinch is merely an occasional or accidental straggler 

 to Tunisia, and the naturalist Blanc has only once met with the 

 species in the course of twenty years' residence in the country. This 

 occasion was in the early spring of 1886, but during that year there 

 must have been a considerable immigration of the birds, as no less 

 than fifteen examples were brought to him. These were presumably 

 obtained in the neighbourhood of the town of Tunis. 



Loche states that the Bullfinch is of rare and accidental occurrence 



