THE BIRDS OF GILO IT. 353 



172.— Fringilla montifringilla, Lin. (752). 



A few specimens were shot in March and April on their 

 way northwards in both years. Mr. Hume doubts the occur- 

 rence of this Finch in Indian limits (Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 VII., p. 465). These had most undoubtedly come from the 

 south.* A male, shot on April 15th, had the breeding plumage 

 nearly complete. 



The wing bar formed by the white spot on the outer web 

 near the base of the quills does not extend right across the wing ; 

 it is absent from the first three primaries, commencing on the 

 fourth. In other respects these birds correspond exactly with 

 the description given by Dresser in the "Birds of Europe." 



173— Leucosticte brandti, Sev. (752 Ms A.) 



This is the bird which I procured in 1874 in the moun- 

 tains west of Kashghar, and took for M. hcematopygia ; but 

 M. SevertzofF, on examining my collection, identified it as 

 Leucosticte brandti. It first appeared about January 20tb, 

 single specimens being mixed up in flocks of Carpodacus 

 rubicillus. It gradually became commoner; but I never saw 

 more than three or four together at a time. It disappeared 

 about March 10th. 



Measurements of a male taken in the flesh : — Length, 7£ 

 inches ; wing, 4-f ; tail, 3£ ; tarsus, |; bill at gape, nearly i inch. 

 Irides, grey brown. Out of eleven specimens secured, none 

 had a black bill like those obtained by me in 1874 in the end 

 of March and beginning of April. It is probably distinctive 

 of the breeding plumage. 



This species can be readily distinguished from M. htema- 

 topygia by its greater size and the rose-coloured shoulder 

 patches. The rose tints on the rump are paler and less con- 

 spicuous than in M. luematopygia ; and the general tone of 

 the plumage is conspicuously palenf 



174.— Fringillauda sordida , Stol. (753 bis). 



A continuous resident in the district, appearing in flocks 

 of forty or fifty at the lower elevations during the winter. 



* [This is just what I doubt. I know that this species occurs in Northern Afghanis- 

 tan, and I believe these birds came from the south-west from Afghanistan and not 

 India.— A. OH] s 



t [If to these remarks I add that the bill is very much larger in hamatopygia, and 

 that in this latter the primaries are not tipped noticeably wiih any paler colours, while 

 in brandti they are conspicuously and broadly margined at the tips with white or 

 creamy or brownish white, enough will have been said of the species to render any 

 detailed description unnecessary; but I may notice that, though they average somewhat 

 larger, many brandti are not larger than many hcematopygia. In these latter the 

 wings of adult males vary from 45 to 4'75; in brandti, from 4 6 to 49. 



I pointed out ten years ago that in M. adamsi and L. hcematopygia, the bills 

 were black in summer and yellow in winter.— A. 0. H.] 



