P YRRHOSPItiACARPODA CUS 3 1 9 



of the bill, I find this extremely variable. The variation in 

 tone of colour is also considerable, specimens from Sikhim 

 being as a rule darkest, and the red is richest in tinge, and 

 some from Gilgit, Kan-su, and Tibet are the palest. 



CARPODACUS, Kaup, 1829. 



466. CAUCASIAN ROSE-FINCH. 



CARPODACUS RUBICILLA. 



Carpodacus rubicilla (Giild), Nov. Comm. St. Petersb. xix. p. 463, 

 Tab. xii. (1775) ; (Gould) B. of Asia, v. pi. 25 ; Dresser, iv. p. 69, 

 pi. 193 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 399 ; Coccothraustes cauca- 

 sicus, Pall. Zoogr. Eoss. As. ii. p. 13 (1811). 



o ad. (Caucasus). Mantle and hind-neck dusky brown, tinged with 

 deep rose-red, the back with indistinct blackish brown stripes ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts deep rose-red ; wings and tail dark brown, with paler 

 margins, the former tinged with rose-red ; feathers at the base of the bill 

 blackish ; crown, sides of head, throat, and under parts to the lower 

 abdomen rich scarlet, spotted with silvery white ; ear-coverts tipped and 

 glossed with silvery grey ; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts rosy red, 

 the latter striped with dark brown ; flanks tinged with brownish grey ; 

 bill light yellowish horn ; legs and iris dark brown. Culmen 0*55, 

 wings 4'6, tail 3'95, tarsus O92 inch. The female has the upper parts pale 

 earthy brown, the forehead tinged with yellowish buff, the feathers with 

 dark central lines ; wings and tail dark brown, with ashy-brown margins ; 

 under parts ashy buff, with a yellowish tinge, and with dark stripes ; under 

 tail-coverts buffy white. 



Hob. Caucasus. 



But little is known respecting the habits of this bird except 

 that it inhabits the higher portions of the mountain ranges, 

 frequenting the banks of mountain torrents, feeding on berries, 

 chiefly those of HypopTwea rhamnoides. Its nest and eggs are 

 as yet unknown. 



467. SUBSP. CARPODACUS SEVERTZOVI. 



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

 Mus. xii. p. 400 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 658 ; Gates, F. B. Ind. 

 Birds, ii. p. 220. 



(J ad. (Tibet) Differs from C. rubicilla in being considerably paler, the 

 upper parts being pale ashy brown, tinged with rose red, the rump rose-red? 

 the under parts much paler rose-red, not scarlet, the lower abdomen and 



