220 



Iris dark brown ; legs and feet dusky brown ; bill dark horny 

 brown, paling at base of upper mandible. 



Length about 6-5 ; tail 2-6 ; wing 3-3 ; tarsus -8 ; bill from 

 gape -5. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to the whole of India as far south 

 as the Nilgiri hills, and to the provinces to the east as far south as 

 Arrakan and Northern Pegu. In summer the range of this species 

 extends to Northern Europe and Northern Asia. Considerable 

 numbers of these birds appear to summer in the higher and more 

 remote portions of the Himalayas, breeding at 10,000 feet. 



Habits, fyc. Breeds in July and August, in low bushes near the 

 ground, constructing a cup- shaped nest of grass. The eggs are 

 described as being blue, marked with a few chocolate spots, and 

 measuring about -81 by '6. 



762. Carpodacus severtzovi. Severtzoff's Rose-Finch. 



Propasser rubicillus (Guld.}, Horsf. fy M. Cat. ii, p. 457. 

 Carpodacus rubicilla (Giild.), Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 397 ; Hume fy Henders. 



Lah. to Yark. p. 258 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 471 ; id. Cat, no. 737 ; 



Biddidph, Ibis, 1881, p. 82. 

 Carpodacus severtzovi, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1886, p. 354; id. Cat. B. M. 



xii, p. 400 j Oates in Hume's N, fy E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 154. 



The Caucasian Rose-Finch, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead and whole crown, except a patch 

 on the hinder part, white, each feather margined with crimson ; 

 lores and feathers near bill deep crimson ; hinder part of crown, 

 hind neck, sides of neck, back, and scapulars rosy ashy ; all the 

 coverts and quills of the wing and the tail brown, edged with the 

 colour of the back ; rump and upper tail-coverts rose-colour ; ear- 

 coverts pale rose-colour ; cheeks, chin, throat, and fore neck white 

 and crimson, like the crown ; remainder of lower surface rosy 

 mottled with ashy, the feathers of the breast and middle abdomen 

 with small subterminal white shaft-streaks. 



Female. Upper plumage ashy brown, streaked with dark brown ; 

 wing-coverts and quills brown, margined with ashy ; tail brown, 

 edged with ashy, and the outer web of the outermost feather white ; 

 sides of the head and entire lower plumage paler than the upper 

 plumage and everywhere streaked with brown. 



Bill grey horny, with the upper mandible brownish above, the 

 lower yellowish horny at base ; iris brown ; legs and feet brown or 

 dusky brown ; claws dusky brown and dusky blackish (Scully}. 



Length nearly 8 ; tail 3*5 ; wing 4*5 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from 

 gape -7. 



C. rubicilla from the Caucasus differs from the present species 

 in being everywhere of a much deeper red colour. 



Distribution. Gilgit and Ladak, extending through Central Asia 

 to Eastern Siberia. In summer this species is found in Turkestan 

 from 10,000 to 12,000 feet and in winter it descends to the level 

 of Gilgit. 



