274 COTILE CARDUELIS 



<$ ad. (Egypt). Differs from C. rupestris in being smaller and much 

 paler, the upper parts pale greyish sandy brown, the under parts creamy 

 white, almost pure white on the chin and upper throat ; flanks, lower 

 abdomen, and under tail-coverts washed with dull rufous brown. Culmen 

 0'35, wing 4'5, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'45 inch. Sexes alike. 



Hal. Palestine, Egypt, Nubia, S. Arabia, east to Sind, and is 

 said to have occurred twice in Italy. 



In habits it does not differ from C, rupestris, but it is frequently 

 found in the desert and in N. Africa in the mountains to an 

 elevation of from 11,000 to 12,000 feet. Its flight is swift 

 though at times irregular. It breeds as early as March and 

 places its cup-shaped nest in tombs, mosques, or other buildings 

 in the desert, or in cracks in the rocks under overhanging 

 precipices, or in caves, and the eggs are white, closely spotted 

 with reddish brown. 



CAEDUELIS, Briss., 1760. 



404. GOLDFINCH. 

 CARDUELIS ELEGANS. 



Carduelis elegans, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 30 (1826) ;. 

 Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 196 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. lii. pi. 36 ; 

 Hewitson, i. p. 126, pi. 1. fig. 1 ; Newton, ii. p. 117 ; Dresser, iii. 

 p. 527, pi. 166 ; Saunders, p. 173 ; Lilford, iv. p. 53, pi. 26 ; 

 Fringilla carduelis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 318 (1766) ; Naum. v. 

 p. 126, Taf. 124, figs. 1, 2 ; (Sharpe), Cat. -B. Br. Mus. xii. 

 p. 185; C. major, Tacz. P.Z.S. 1879, p. 672. 



Chardonneret, French ; Pintasilgo, Portug. ; Gilguero, Span. ;. 

 Oardellino, Italian ; Stieglitz, Distelfink, German ; JDistelvink, 

 Dutch; Stillids, Dan. and Norw.; Steglits, Swed. ; Tiklivarpunen,. 

 Finn. ; Shtchegol, Russ. 



ad. (England). Feathers at the base of the bill, lores, hind crown, 

 nape, and a crescentic line passing to the sides of the neck black ; fore- 

 crown, upper throat, and the space to behind the eye rich scarlet ; cheeks, 

 and a narrow nuchal line white ; back, scapulars, and rump warm wood- 

 brown ; upper tail-coverts greyish white, but black at the base ; wings 

 black but the larger wing-coverts and the basal half of the outer web of 

 most of the quills rich gamboge, most having a white spot at the tip ; 

 tail black, the middle feathers tipped with white, the outer with an oval 

 white spot near the end of the inner web ; under parts white washed with 

 brown on the breast and flanks ; bill whitish with the tip dark ; legs 



