68 



the foundation, interwoven with lichens, chips of rotten wood, and strips 



of bark, and warmly and softly lined with feathers, wool, and goats' hair. It 



is often found low down, but sometimes as much as 20 ft. from the ground 



in juniper bushes, from 3000 to 3500 ft. or according to Dresser, 5000 ft. 



above the sea level. 



Eggs. 3 — 5 in number, and have been compared to those of the Serin and 



Canary. They are thin-shelled, and the markings tend to form a zone of 



dark rusty brown spots and streaks round the big end on a bluish white 



ground. 



Breeding Danford found fresh eggs in the Taurus Mts. on April 21, but in 



Season. Afghanistan the breeding season falls early in June (Wardlaw Ramsay), 



and Biddulph took a nest near Gilgit on July 28. 

 Measure- The illustrated egg^ obtained tlirough Nehrkorn, measures 17.2 X 13.2 



ments. mm., and weighs 88 mg. (Rey). An egg, taken by Danford (coll. H. E. Dresser), 

 measures 17 X 13.5 mm. Other eggs ascribed to this bird from Kuldja 

 and the Caucasus average much less (8 sj)ecimens) 15.6 X 12 mm. 



38. Desert or Trumpeter Bullfiiicli, Erythrospiza gitliaginca (Liclit). 



Plate 26, fig. 6 (Algeria). 



Foreign Name: Italy: Tromhettiere. 



Erythrospiza githaginea (Licht.). Dresser, Birds of Europe, IV, p. 85; 

 id. Man. Pal. Birds, p. 329. K g. githaginea (Licht.). Hartert, Vog. Pal. 

 Fauna, p. 88. 



Breeding Range: North Africa from Algeria to Egypt. It has 

 occurred at various places along the southern shores of Europe. 

 Nest. Resident in the hilly and stony country south of the Atlas, nesting 



under tussocks of grass or other plants on the hill sides. The nest is 

 neatly built of fine bents, lined with fine roots and a little hair, wool, or 

 a few feathers. 

 Eggs. Usually 4 — 5, occasionally 6 (Whitaker), are elongated in shape and 



'of a delicate sea green colour slightly spotted and streaked at the large 

 end with dark lake and reddish brown' [Birds of Tunisia, p. 221). These 

 markings tend to form a zone. 

 Breeding From the end of February onward through March; latter in the north 



Season. Qf ^]^g breeding range than in the south. Probably two broods are some- 

 times reared. 

 Measure- Whitaker gives the average size of two clutches as 20 X 14 mm., 



ments. Hartert as 18 — 19 X 14 mm. Average of 10 eggs (Erlanger 4 and 6 by 

 the writer) 20.2 X 14.74 mm. 



[The N. African race is replaced in the Canaries by E. githaginea 

 amantum Hart. 32 eggs of this subspecies average 18.6 X 14.1 mm.. Max. 



