484 



105. Pyrrhula aurantia, Gould, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 222 ; Birds 

 of Asia, 1858, pt. x. 



Orange-coloured Bullfinch. 



Seen only on the Cashmere Ranges ; usually in small flocks in 

 lonely places. Call-note more like the chirp of the Greenfinch than 

 the clear call of the P. vulgaris. 



Male. — Bill black. Total length 5 inches. A black band sur- 

 rounds base of bill, eyes and chin. Crown of head, neck, breast, 

 belly, back, and edges of wing-coverts a rich orange. Tail, wing- 

 coverts, except their edges, glossy crow-black. Rump pure white ; 

 the colour of the back is less rich than on the other parts, and fades 

 towards the vent, which is white. Legs light brown. Iris black. 



Female. — Has the black circle round the bill. Head and neck 

 ash-coloured, like the female of vulgaris. Back slightly tinged with 

 orange on an ashy base ; the tips of the wing-coverts the same. 

 Lower parts like the male, but much less brilliant, and approaching 

 to olive. 



106. Pyrrhulauda grisea (Scopoli). 



Poonah, Deccan, very common ; less so in the Punjab ; not seen 

 in Scinde. 



107. Fringilla rubrifrons (Gould)*. 



Very common in all the wastes and valleys of Ladakh. Its 

 favourite food in summer is the seeds of a species of Artemisia. 

 Often seen in the Punjab towns as a cage-bird imported from La- 

 dakh and Afghanistan. 



108. Melanocorypha tartarica?, Pallasf. 



A common cage-bird in Cashmere and the northern towns of the 

 Punjab. I have not seen the bird in a wild state ; but natives say it 

 is brought from Afghanistan. It is nearly the size of the Redwing. 

 Bill strong and thick. Colour of plumage like the Skylark, except 

 a broad black band across the chest. Its song is sweet and melo- 

 dious, and is more powerful and as much varied as the Al. arvensis. 



109. Alauda arvensis?, Linnaeus. 



A winter visitor on the lowest ranges of the Western Himalayas ; 

 at all seasons in Cashmere and cultivated districts of the interior. 

 I think it identical with the British species ; however, it does not ap- 

 pear to mount so high or remain so long on the wing. Perhaps 

 found in the Punjab during winter. 



Description. — Length 6 inches. Upper parts lark-brown, spotted 

 deeply with black ; white streak over eyes ; throat dirty white ; 



* ? Metoponia pusilla (Pallas). Syn. Fringilla rubrifrons, Hay (see Catal. B. 

 Mus. E.I.C. ii. p. 494. no. 754).— F. M. 



t This is Melanocorypha torquata, Blyth (see Catal. B. Mus. E.I.C. ii. p. 470). 

 The Mel. tartarica of Pallas inhabits Northern Asia and North-eastern Europe. — 

 F. M. 



