308 FKINGILLA 



$ ad. (Canaries). Differs from F. Calebs in having the crown blackish blue, 

 the back dark slate-blue, the rump and upper tail-coverts apple-green, and 

 the under parts buffy fawn, and no distinct frontal band. Culmen 0'6, 

 wing 3*25, tail 2'48, tarsus 0*8 inch. The female has the upper parts darker 

 and the under parts paler than the female of F. ccelebs, the latter being pale 

 buff, without any reddish tinge. 



Hob. Canary Islands. 



In habits it does not differ appreciably from F. ccelebs. It 

 does not affect the lowlands, at least during the summer, but is 

 usually to be met with in the chestnut-groves, or less commonly 

 amongst the laurels and in the pine- woods. Dr. Koenig 

 expresses its call-note by the syllables tschihuit, tschihuit, and 

 its song hitta, hitta, hitta, rrrrr, and he found it rather shy and 

 wary. It breeds in May, placing its nest like our Chaffinch on 

 a tree, but it does not construct it so neatly, it being somewhat 

 loosely built of bents, dry grasses, moss, and hair, lined with 

 hair and feathers. The eggs, usually 4 in number are pale 

 bluish or greenish white, sparingly spotted with dark brown, 

 sometimes resembling the ordinary type of F ccelebs but much 

 paler. In size they avera,ge about O85 by O52. 



452. SUBSP. FRINGILLA MADEKENSIS. 



Fringilla maderensis, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. p. 175 (1888). 

 Tintilhao, in Madeira. 



( ad. (Madeira). Differs but very slightly from Fr. moreleti, and only 

 in having the under parts not so decidedly fawn coloured, but with a 

 shade of pink, and the bill is rather stouter and longer. The females are 

 undistinguishable. This is at best a very doubtful subspecies, and scarcely 

 deserving of distinction. 



Hob. Madeira. 



In habits, note, and nidification this bird does not differ 

 from F. canariensis and FT. moreleti, except that it frequents 

 the pine-woods, whereas F. tintillon affects the chestnut-groves. 

 Its call-note is said by Dr. Koenig to resemble the syllables 

 tin, tin, tschin, tschin, and its song differs slightly from that of 

 the Canarian bird. Its nest resembles that of the Canarian 

 form but is rather neater, and its eggs, usually 3, but occasionally 

 4 in number, resemble pale varieties of F. ccelebs and in size 

 average about 0*79 by 06. 



453. SUBSP. FRINGILLA MORELETI. 



Fringilla moreleti, Puch. Kev. and Mag. de Zool. 1859, p. 412, pi. 16 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 176. 



Tintilhao, in the Azores. 



