NATURAL HISTORY AND SPORT IN THE HIMALAYAS. 437 
and ferns, usually placed not very far up a middle-sized tree. 
The eggs, four or five, are greenish, with reddish markings 
in spots and streaks. The only other Thrush observed at 
Koteghur was M. castanea, in pairs as yet, but apt to pack by the 
dozen or score during the winter. 
Got male and female of a Rose Finch to-day, after a lot of 
dodging, they being very shy and restless; they were in a low 
oak thicket up the hill. I make them out to be C. erythrinus, 
rather on negative than positive grounds. It is, I think, the bird 
so often caged by the natives on account of its pleasing but weak 
little ditty. I never got it on the hills before; but there are 
several other handsome Rose Finches, which are, to me, at least 
somewhat puzzling, from the descriptions to which I have access, 
and from seasonal and sexual differences of plumage; and I 
thought the stuffed specimens in the Calcutta Museum additionally 
mystifying, these dummies having suffered and changed much in 
appearance, the result of time and exposure to light and climate. 
Another little Finch, procured for the first time to-day, is 
Metoponia pusilla. I met with several small parties of them, 
tearing out the flowerets of a species of Artemisia. Some of the 
examples of this neat little bird, shot during the trip, had no red 
on the poll,—young birds of the year, I presume; others had but 
faint traces of the yellow on the wing, and the breast and back 
concolorous. Indeed, how the bird from its various phases of 
plumage, dependent on age and sex, has escaped being multiplied 
into several species, in these days, isa marvel to me. Mr. P. had 
a fine series of them, and showed me several as distinct species. 
He told me, moreover, that he knew the bird well in Germany ; 
but I think he referred to the Redpoll. I once saw a flock of this 
bird at Rajpore, the foot of the Mussoorie range. It was in a 
very severe winter, and snow was on the ground at the time. 
The only Stonechat I observed here was Pratincola ferrea, which 
is common enough, and ranges all over the Himalayas; and I 
procured no example of any kind of Wheatear. Two kinds of 
Bul-bul are common, Pycnonotus lewcogenys and P. pygmeus ; 
the former abundant at about 4000 feet, the latter less so. A 
very common bird observed is Saroglossa spiloptera, usually 
classed with the Starlings, although I did not see much in 
its habits to induce me to think so. It is quite arboreal, and 
eats more of berries than insects. It spends the hot weather in 
