MONTLFRINGILLA .301 



440. BLANFORD'S SNOW-FINCH. 

 MONTIFRINGILLA BLANFORDI. 



Montifringilla blanfordi, Hume, Str. Feath. iv. p. 487 (1876) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 264, pi. iv. ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, 

 ii. p. 245. 



ad. (Sikhim). Resembles M. ruficollis, but has the upper parts 

 uniform in colour,unstriped, no white on the median arid lesser wing-coverts ; 

 tail ashy brown at the base, blackish brown towards the end with a sub- 

 terminal white band, but the middle feathers are brown, with fulvous 

 margins ; forehead, a large patch covering the cheeks and ear-coverts, and 

 broad, short supercilium white ; chin and one central and two lateral 

 frontal stripes deep black ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'45, 

 wing 3'75, tail 2'3, tarsus 071 inch. 



Hob. Darjeeling, Sikhim, and Tibet. 



It is said to inhabit high altitudes, from 15,000 to 16,000 

 feet, but I find no account of its habits or nidification. 



441. DAVID'S SNOW-FINCH. 

 MONTIFRINGILLA DAVIDIANA. 



Montifringilla davidiana (J. Verreaux), N. Arch. Mus. Bull. vi. p. 40, 

 No. 32 (1870) ; (Prjev.), Mongol i Strana Tangut, &c., tab. xx. fig. 6, 

 (egg) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 265 ; (David and Oust.) Ois. 

 Chine, p. 339 ; Passer oiiratensis ; David, MS. ; Swinhoe, P.Z.S. 

 1870, p. 430. 



^ ad. Differs from M. blanfordi^ in having the crown sandy grey, the 

 forehead, a broad line round the bill, the chin and middle of the throat to 

 the breast deep black, scarcely any rufous on the neck; the upper parts 

 distinctly striped with dark brown ; bill horn, rather paler at the base ; 

 legs black. Gulmen 0'4, wing 3'36, tail T8, tarsus 0'65 inch. Sexes alike. 



Hob. The highlands of Mongolia, south and east to the 

 northern bend of the Khanghor. 



In habits it resembles M. ruficollis, but its note is like that 

 of Petronia slulta. It places its nest, which is formed of dry 

 grass, hair, and down, in the deserted hole of Lagomys ogotono, 

 at a depth of about 3 to 4 feet, or the bird digs a hole itself 

 for that purpose, in which case it is narrower, not deeper than 

 2 to 3 feet and not straight but curved, and widened at the 

 bottom where the nest is placed. The eggs, usually 6 to 7 in 

 number, are deposited in May, and are white with a yellowish 

 tinge, and measure about 0*81 by 0'56. 



