CARPODACU8. 219 



Genus CARPODACUS, Kaup, 1829. 



The birds of the genus Carpodacus differ from those of the genus 

 Propasser in having a longer and more pointed wing, the second- 

 aries falling short of the tip of the wing by a distance greater 

 than the length of the tarsus, and in having no supercilium. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Wing under 3'5 C. erythrinus, p. 210. 



b. Wing considerably over 4 C. severtzovi, p. 220. 



761. Carpodacus erythrinus. The Common Rote-Finch. 



Loxia erythrina, Pall. Nov. Comm. Petrop. xiv, p. 587, pi. 23, fig. i 



(1770)." 

 Carpodacus erythrinus (Pall.), Blyth, Cat. p. 122 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. 



ii, p. 456 ; Jej-d. B. I. ii, p. 398 ; Hume # Senders. Lah. to York. 



p. 259 ; Scully, S. F. iv, p. 170 ; Hume, Cat. no. 738 ; Scully, S. F. 



viii, p. 335 ; Bidihdph, Ibis, 1881, p. 83 ; Damson, S.F.x, p. 403 ; 



Oates, B. B.i, p. 345 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 274 ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. xii, p. 391 ; Hume, S. F. xi. p. 286; Oates in Hume's N. 



$ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 153. 



Tuti, Hind. ; Amonga tuti, Nep. ; Chota tuti, Sylhet ; Phulin-pho, 

 Lepch. ; Yedru-pichike, Yedru-jinowayi, Tel. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the forehead, crown, 

 and nape are dull crimson ; back and scapulars crimson-brown, 

 each feather margined with olivaceous ; lower back and rump 

 nearly uniform rosy red; upper tail -co verts ruddy brown, edged 

 with olive ; lesser wing-coverts crirnson-brown ; median coverts 

 dark brown, broadly tipped with rufous ; greater coverts brown, 

 broadly edged with rufous ; primary-coverts, winglet, quills, and 

 tail brown, edged with ruddy brown tinged with olivaceous ; lores 

 and a band behind the eye dusky rufous ; cheeks, chin, throat, 

 and upper breast a beautiful rose-colour ; lower breast paler rose, 

 becoming albescent on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; sides 

 of the neck and sides of the body olive-brown ; axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts ash}'- rufous. 



After some months, owing to the wearing away of 'the margins 

 and also to an increase of colour, the whole head and neck, chin, 

 throat, and upper breast become bright crimson ; the back. 

 scapulars, rump, upper tail-coverts, and lesser wing-coverts very 

 dark crimson. 



Female. The whole plumage olive-brown, streaked with brown, 

 the median and greater wing-coverts broadly tipped with ochra- 

 ceous and the quills and tail margined with the same; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries pale ochraceous. 



Young birds of both sexes resemble the adult female in general 

 appearance. The young male appears to retain this female plumage 

 during the first summer. 



