IV.—ROSE-FINCHES,. 
These dark plumaged birds, are doubtlessly well known to all. 
They are more or less prettily marked with bright rose colours. Bill 
is bull-finch like, short and high, tip of upper mandible projecting ; 
wings shorter and rounded. 
(746) PROCARDUELIS NIPALENSIS, Dark Rose-finch, is another 
winter visitant in Darjeeling, at which season they are fairly com- 
mon, in the station where trees and shrubs abound. They frequent- 
ly come into gardens and house compounds. They are often obser- 
ved foraging about on roads and paths in front of the house. At 
times these Rosefinches are fairly tame, and can be made out with- 
out, much difficulty. The bright roseate, tints and colours, draw 
one’s attention even from a short distance. These birds are about 
the size of sparrows, in length 64 inches ; bill is brown ; irides red 
brown. Male has bright rose tints and markings; above, dark 
sooty sort of colour, also on neck and breast which are tinged with 
red ; much redder or rosier on the throat and streak over the eyes ; 
wings, (quills) and tail feathers are brown tinged and margined with 
red. Female is dull in colour, Jacking the bright tints, it is a sort 
of olive brown and dull yellow ; beneath white. 
(743) PROPASSER PULCHERRIMUS, Beautiful Rose-finch. T am afraid 
there is but a small chance of finding this unique little bird in Dar- 
jeeling. At Tongloo and the road to Sandakphu or in North 
Sikkim on high altitudes it is occasionally met with. Pulcherrimus 
outrivals in beauty most of the smaller birds and could be looked 
upon as the prettiest of the Fringilline, a family which have not a 
few richly coloured birds such as Cross-bills, Gold and other finches 
and Scarlet Grosbeak. This beautiful finch will quite repay a closer 
examination of its varied markings. A few of the leading colours 
will suffice to enable one to make out this. species. Under- 
parts are silvery crimson, also sides of the head and throat ; 
supercilium, which is found in most of the finches, is silvery crimson; 
top of the head silvery white, crown feathers edged with crimson ; 
rest of the plumage is rose coloured. This is but a poor description, 
but such as it is, it will aid to distinguish this Rose-finch. 
(750) CHRYSOMITRIS SPINOIDES, Himalayan Siskin, this dainty 
little bird visits us in September, towards close of the rains. Big- 
gish flocks of Siskins seem to come in batches and spread themselves 
about Darjeeling. They seek in preference, better wooded parts ; 
among bamboo (melengo, as hill people call this species) clumps. 
Where these are not plentiful, tall Cryptomeria trees, which grow in 
clusters on the hill side are selected, Here these birds build their 
