4 o4 PERCHING BIRDS. 



assumed, and that it takes two or even three moults before the full red plumage is 

 gained. The plumage of the female differs from the male in being olive-yellow, 

 where the latter is red ; the head, lower back, and rump being much brighter 

 than the mantle, which is dusky brown, while the under surface of the body is 

 yellow, with ashy bases to the feathers. 



There has been some doubt whether there is more than one species of crossbill, 

 and on this subject Mr. Oates, in his Birds of British India, writes as follows: — 

 " The crossbills of the Himalaya (L. himalayana) form a very small race, which 

 I think it advisable to keep distinct. There is a very marked difference in size 

 between the Himalayan birds and L. curvirostra, from Northern Europe, on the 

 one hand, and L. japonica, from Japan, on the other; and the only crossbills 

 which approach the Indian birds in size are from America. Sharpe's view, that all 

 these crossbills form but one species is no doubt correct ; at the same time, the 

 Himalayan crossbills are in my opinion quite distinguishable from all others in 

 size, and it is consequently more convenient to retain them as distinct." The 

 range of the small Himalayan form extends from China and Ladak to Sikhim, and 

 thence into Tibet and Western China ; and recently a crossbill (L. luzoniensis), has 

 been found in the Philippines. 



Nearly allied to the crossbills is the scarlet finch (Hcematospiza sipahi), from 



the mountains of Nipal and Sikhim, distinguished by the very strong and stout 



beak being of normal form. The cock-bird of this species is red, while the hen is 



green ; a remarkable feature of both sexes being the white colour of the bases of 



the feathers of the head and neck, which are seen conspicuously when the feathers 



are at all ruffled. The wing is of considerable length, reaching beyond the middle 



of the tail. The scarlet finch is an inhabitant of both forest and bushy districts, 



and utters a loud whistling note. 



The genus Telesnyza includes a handsome finch recently dis- 

 Laysan Finch. t • , r> -n i • , • 



covered m the Pacific, and is characterised by the bill being short and 



much arched, with the upper mandible showing a tendency to cross the lower, as in 

 the crossbill ; the wings are of moderate length, reaching to about the end of the 

 basal third of the tail-feathers ; the tail is slightly forked ; and the feet are remark- 

 ably large and strong. This bird is peculiar to the island of Laysan, in the Pacific ; 

 and we owe its discovery to Mr. Scott Wilson, who obtained a specimen at 

 Honolulu. This was one of about forty, brought there by Captain Bohm, who had 

 found the birds common among the scrubby bushes covering the surface of their 

 island home, where they were so excessively tame and unsophisticated that their 

 capture with the hand was an easy matter. Mr. Wilson says that a specimen which 

 he brought alive to England has a very clear metallic note, which may be rendered, 

 chwit, chwee. It also twitters and chirps as it hops from side to side of the cage, 

 and is altogether lively in its movements ; while it is able to force the wires of its 

 cage by means of its powerful bill. The adult has the head and sides of the face 

 olive-green, shading behind into dark chestnut-brown on the back, where each 

 feather has the centre black; the rump and upper tail-coverts are chestnut -brown; 

 the primaries black, edged with yellowish : the tail is black, having each feather 

 edged with greenish yellow ; and the throat and breast are bright greenish yellow 

 passing into white on the under-parts. 



