PYCNORHAMPHUS. 199 



A young male shot in August is moulting from the female to the 

 adult male plumage. 



Legs and feet fleshy pink ; bill horny greenish ; iris reddish 

 hrown (Hume). The bill becomes yellow in winter. A young bird 

 had the bill waxy green ; iris hazel ; legs and feet pale fleshy 

 (Bingham, August). 



Length about 9 ; tail 37 ; wing 5-2 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from 

 gape 1. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Murree and Central Kashmir 

 eastwards to Garhwal, where this species is found in the hills 

 north of Mussooree. Jerdon's statement that this bird extends 

 into Nepal requires confirmation. This Grosbeak occurs from 

 5000 to 9000 feet, and according to Stoliczka not beyond the limit 

 of the large forests. 



Habits, <${c. Breeds in May and June, constructing a nest of 

 twigs and grass, lined with fern-roots, in a branch of a tree, and 

 laying two or three eggs, which are white marked with broad longi- 

 tudinal dashes of rufous-brown at the larger end, and measure from 

 9 to 1-07 in length by -77 to -81 in breadth. 



742. Pycnorhamphus affinis. The Allied Grosbeak. 



Hesperiphona affinis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxiv, p. 179 (1855) ; Jerd. 



B. I. ii, p. 385 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1807, p. 43. 

 Pycnorhamphus affinis (Blyth}, Hume, Cat. no. 726 ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. xii, p. 46. 



Coloration. Male. The whole head, chin and throat, the upper 

 part of the fore neck, wings, scapulars, the sides of the back, and 

 the tail deep black ; the feathers of the middle line of the back 

 black on the outer web, yellow on the inner ; neck all round, rump, 

 and entire lower plumage from the throat downwards rich yellow, 

 tinged with orange on the rump and hind neck ; upper tail-coverts 

 black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries black. 



Female. The whole head, chin, and throat ashy ; hind neck, sides 

 of neck, rump, and lower plumage olive-yellow ; back, scapulars, 

 upper tail-coverts, the lesser and median wing-coverts, and the 

 greater portion of the outer webs of the greater coverts and second- 

 aries ashy green ; remainder of wing and the tail deep black. 



Males not quite adult have the head, chin, and throat dark brown 

 with pale fringes, and the lower plumage saffron-yellow. 



Bill bluish in winter, yellow in summer ; feet fleshy yellow 

 (Jerdori). The few dated specimens in the British Museum, 

 however, show that the bill is blue in summer and yellow in winter, 

 in the dried state at least. 



Length about 9 ; tail 3*8 ; wing 5 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from 

 gape !.">. 



Distribution. Nepal and Sikhim, extending into Tibet and 

 "Western China. In the British Museum ihere is a specimen of 

 this bird which is marked as having been procured at Dharmsala. 

 This Grosbeak appears to be found only at high elevations. 



