316 FRINGILLID^E. 



840. Pyrrhoplectes epauletta, Hodgs., As. Res. xix. p. 156; 



Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 382 ; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, p. 108 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xii. p. 386. The GOLD-HEADED BLACK BULL-FINCH. 



Top of head and occiput bright golden orange ; rest of the body brownish 

 black, except a tuft of golden yellow feathers on the axillaries ; inner webs of 

 the uppermost tertiaries partially white. 



The female is reddish brown with the forehead and neck grey and the coronal 

 patch with the ear coverts dull greenish saffron ; axillaries as in the male ; 

 primaries and tail dusky, with white on the inner webs of the tertiaries. Bill 

 dusky horny ; legs brown ; irides brown. 



Length. 5*75 inches ; wing 3 ; tail 2^25 ; tarsus 0-7 ; bill at front 0-45. 



Eab. Himalayas, Nepaul, Sikkim and Darjeeling. 



Gen. CarpOdaCUS- Kaup. 



Bill tumid, rather longer than in Pyrrhula, and compressed at the tip, 

 notched near its base ; tail forked. 



841. Carpodacus erythrinus, Pall., Nov. Comm. Petrop. xiv. 



p. 587, pi. 23, fig. I ; Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 398, No. 738 ; Dresser, B, Eur. 

 iv. p. 75 ; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 94 ; Oates, Str. F. iii. p. 342 ; Scully, 

 Str. F. iv. p. 170; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 356; Blanf., East. Pers. 

 ii. p. 250 ; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 108 ; Scully, Str. F. viii. p. 335 ; Biddulph, 

 Ibis, 1 88 1, p. 83; id., Str. F. ix. p. 348; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 234; Murray, 

 Hdbk. Zool., 8fc. t Sind, p. 185 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 345 ; Murray, 

 Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 189; id,, Zool. Bel. and S. Afghan, p. 59. The COM- 

 MON ROSEFINCH. 



Chin, throat, head, nape and rump brilliant crimson, the sides of the head 

 duller and the ear coverts tinged with brown ; lores brown ; back and 

 scapulars dull red, the terminal third of the feathers being red and the basal 

 two-thirds grey ; upper tail coverts brown, margined with dull red ; tail brown, 

 suffused with ruddy on the outer webs ; belly and flanks pale crimson, paling 

 to rosy white on the vent and under tail coverts ; axillaries smoky grey ; upper 

 wing coverts brown, tipped and margined with dull crimson ; wing brown, 

 more or less suffused with dull crimson on the outer webs of the quills. 



In winter plumage the male has the chin, throat, head, nape and rump a 

 dull crimson, but brighter than the back ; the breast, abdomen, flanks and 

 vent pale rose colour with a tinge of yellow ; wing coverts tipped with rose 

 colour instead of crimson. (Oates.) 



The female has the whole upper plumage olive brown, each feather tinged 

 with yellowish brown ; upper wing coverts brown, broadly tipped with ochra- 

 ceous, paler and more yellowish white in some ; wings and tail brown, the 

 outer webs narrowly margined with pale ochraceous ; ear coverts brown, with 

 paler shafts ; chin, throat, breast, upper abdomen and flanks light brown, 



