1310 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



though never, I fear helping, and occasionally hopping up to give her a 

 kiss by way of encouragement. 



That these Bullfinches pair for life is I imagine more than probable. 



The Rose Finch, Carpodacus erythinus, was fairly numerous in Sonemurg 

 up to the beginning of July. It doubtless nested there, and at no great 

 elevation either. 



I must qualify the statement (ibid) regarding the partiality of the 

 Red browed Finch, Callacanthis burtoni, for dark forest situations. This is 

 only partly correct. Although essentially a woodland species and, when 

 actually nesting, a forest bird, yet when the young are fledged, it often 

 ventures into open situations, though never away from the vicinity of trees. 

 Much of its time is spent in searching for food on the ground. It is a 

 wonderfully tame species and often in the early morning a family party 

 would peck for food round the door of one's tent. 



Contrary to the impression received last year I find these birds to be 

 early breeders. Fully fledged young were on the wing by the 3rd week 

 in June if not before. The young have the head uniform brown and show 

 no coloured brow or supercilium. There is little doubt that two broods are 

 usual, though I failed to observe a nest. 



The common note of this species (ibid) may perhaps on a close acquain- 

 tanceship, be better rendered by the syllable 'Pweee'*. This is often 

 followed by notes like 'Pweu' ' Pweueu ' or 'Chipeweu'. The ' eu ' 

 pronounced as in the French. All notes are plaintive and melodious. 



The Himalayan Goldfinch [Cardiielis caniceps) nested commonly in isolat- 

 ed fir trees about the "Murg" and young were fully fledged by the 

 third week in July. The young have the head uniform grey brown, the 

 red and black mask of the adult probably not being assumed till after the 

 autumn moult. It was a pretty and familiar sight to see flock of 

 " Goldies " flying about the " Murg " fluttering at the thistle and dandelion 

 heads. But only a short time do they stay at the nesting elevation, and 

 by the end of July most have left for the lower valleys. The notes do not 

 differ from those of the European Goldfinch. 



* It might be imagined that the conformation of a bird's vocal organs, viz-, 

 syrinx, palate and bill, would preclude the possibility of its producing any 

 sound commencing with the letter 'P' as made by human lips, but it is remarkable 

 how often bird's notes can only be correctly reproduced by syllables commencing* 

 with this letter. As regards the present species this is very much the case. I 

 have listened to the notes at a distance of 3 yards only and no other initial letter 

 in the syllable could so well convey the sound to the human ear. It may be that 

 in the vocal apparatus of some birds an action, analogous to that of human lips 

 when pronouncing the letter ' P' takes place when air, in giving utterance to a 

 note, is expelled through the syrinx, the contiguous surfaces of the back of the 

 tongue and the soft parts of the palate taking the place of lips. 



