MYCEROBAS. 201 



744. Mycerobas melanoxanthug. The Spotted-winged Grosbeak. 



Coccothraustes melanozantliiis, Hodgs. As. Res. xix, p. 150 (1836) ; 



Blyth, Cat. p. 125. 

 Mycerobas melanoxantlms (Hodys.}, Horsf. Sf M. Cat. ii, p. 461 ; 



Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 336 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 64 ; Oodio.- 



Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. ii, p. 200; Hume, Cat. no. 727; Sharps, 



Cat. B. M. xii, p. 41 ; Hum*, S. F. xi, p. 286. 



MaUam-pho, Lepch. 



Fig. 54. Head of M. melanoxanthiis. 



Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage, sides of the head 

 and neck, chin and throat slaty black, each feather with an ashy 

 margin more or less distinct ; wings black, the feathers margined 

 with ashy, the inner greater coverts and tertiaries with an elongated 

 oval pale yellow spot on the outer web near the tip ; the fourth to 

 eighth primaries white at base ; the secondaries and inner primaries 

 with a short white margin near the tip of the outer web ; tail black ; 

 lower plumage deep yellow ; axillaries black, tipped with yellow. 



Female. Upper plumage black, the feathers edged with yellowish 

 green, those of the head, hind neck, and back subterminally bright 

 yellow, causing those parts to be about equally black and yellow ; 

 feathers of forehead and those at the side of the crown almost pure 

 yellow ; a broad black band from the lores through the eye to the 

 ear-coverts, followed below by a yellow band ; a black patch on the 

 cheeks ; sides of the chin and throat, sides of neck, breast, and 

 sides of body deep yellow streaked with black ; chin, throat, 

 abdomen, and under tail-coverts deep unstreaked yellow ; wings 

 and tail much as in the male, but the feathers margined with 

 greenish yellow. 



The nestling resembles the female in general appearance, but 

 has the yellow of the head and upper parts replaced by yellowish 

 white, and the lower plumage pale vinaceous streaked with black 

 and occasionally tinged with yellow. It is difficult to trace the 

 transition of plumage from youth to maturity in the series in the 

 British Museum, but Hodgson asserts that the young males retain 

 the plumage of the female till after the second moult. 



Bill leaden blue ; feet leaden grey, claws brown ; iris brown 

 (ffodyson). 



