298 MONTIFRINGILLA 



Niverolle, Pinson des neiges, French ; Fringuello alpino, Ital. ; 

 Schneefiiik, German. 



<J ad. (Switzerland). Crown and nape clear dark ashy grey, the sides 

 of the head and neck paler ; back scapulars and innermost secondaries 

 fulvous brown, with darker centres; rump darker, the upper tail-coverts 

 black ; quills and middle rectrices blackish, narrowly tipped with white ; 

 wing-coverts and secondaries white ; rest of tail-feathers white, all but the 

 outermost tipped with black ; under parts white, the chin and middle of 

 the throat deep black ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, 

 wing 4'55, tail 3'05, tarsus, 0'95 inch. In the winter the black feathers 

 are obscured by white edges, and the bill is yellow with a dark tip. The 

 female has the crown duller, the black patch on the throat smaller, and 

 the under parts duller white. 



Hob. The Pyrenees and Alps, ranging east to Palestine. 



Frequents sterile, rocky districts high up in the mountains 

 where it runs about amongst the stones in search of food, utter- 

 ing its call-note puitt, puitt or pitt,pitt, every now and again 

 taking a short flight and again settling ; every now and then it 

 will stand for a moment on any small eminence, slightly spread 

 its wings, flirt its tail, and utter its note. In the winter it 

 descends to lower levels and visits the valleys. Its food con- 

 sists of insects of various kinds, buds, and seeds. Two 

 broods are usually raised in the season the first eggs being 

 deposited in May, and the second lot in July. The nest is 

 built of dry grass-straws, fine roots, &c., lined with hair, wool, 

 and feathers, and is placed amongst the rocks, and in the build- 

 ings of such hospices as are at considerable altitudes, such as 

 the monastery of the Great St. Bernard. The eggs from 4 to 5 

 in number are pure white averaging about 0*94 by 0'65. 



436. SUBSP. MONTIFRIXGILLA ALPICOLA. 



Montifringilla alplcola (Pall.), Zoogr. Ross. As. ii. p. 20 (1811), Eadde, 

 Orn. Cauc. p. 171, pi. viii. ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 260 ; 

 Dresser, ix. p. 187, pi. 673. 



Gornyi- Wjurcik, Russ. 



< ad. (Erzeroum). Differs from J/. nicaUs in having a longer and more 

 slender bill, and the crown and nape brownish grey instead of ashy grey. 

 Culmen 0'6, wing 4'5, tail 2'9, tarsus 0'95 inch. In the winter the black 

 feathers are obscured by white edges, and the bill is brown, the lower 

 mandible yellowish at the base. 



