Avifauna of Italy. 203 



Plectrophanes nivalis (Linn.). 



This is far from being scarce with us during winter, although 

 not every year in the same proportions ; and I can assure 

 Mr. Dresser that Italian naturalists are not in the habit of 

 confounding this species with MontifringiUa nivalis. I don't 

 believe that the Snow-Bunting has ever bred in our Alps. 



Passer italic (Vieill.). 



This is the only species which is exclusively Italian ; and I 

 may add that it professes " Conservative opinions ',"" for it 

 keeps strictly within our present political frontiers, with the 

 exception of Corsica and Trento, being replaced by P. domes- 

 iicus at Nice and at Trieste, and by P. hispaniolensis in 

 Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta. 



Chloroptila citrinella (Linn.). 



Our specimens are all from the Alps, and, as far as I am 

 aware, very rarely go beyond Northern Italy, even during 

 the winter. It does, however, reach Corsica; for Lord Lilford 

 shot specimens at Porto Vecchio in February 1875, and Mr. 

 C. B. Wharton noticed it about the same time congregating 

 with allied species. I did not see any during my extensive 

 tour in that island in September and October 1877 ; but it 

 might possibly be a resident in the higher mountains. 



Cannabina plavirostris (Linn.). 



This is a very rare species with us ; and the Florence col- 

 lection possesses only one specimen, a male, caught near 

 Genoa in 1839. I have seen a similar specimen in theTrento 

 Museum, caught in that neighbourhood. 



^GIOTHUS LINARIUS (LiuU.) . 



By no means common, and of irregular occurrence during 

 winter. Our collection possesses three specimens — a male shot 

 near Udine in November 1869, and a pair caught near Nice, 

 the female in 1863 and the male on the 7th of January 1878. 

 I can hardly believe that it breeds in Italy. 



tEgiothus rufescens (Vieill.). 



This species, although not frequent, appears to be deci- 

 dedly more so than the preceding one. I have specimens 



