92 cassell's book, of birds. 



upon the breast. The head and breast are of gamboge yellow, the wings and tail-feathers edged 

 with green, and the back and legs of a black colour. We are entirely ignorant of such particulars 

 of its life and habits as might give us any assistance in decisively assigning this bird to its proper 

 place ; it still may be numbered amongst our greatest rarities, as but very few collections can 

 boast of a specimen. 



THE BULLFINCHES (Pyrrhulce). 



The Bullfinches are known by their short thick beak, arched in all directions, while the upper 

 mandible terminates in a small hook. Their other characteristics are their short moderately strong 

 legs and somewhat soft plumage, the nature and colour of which vary considerably in the different 

 members of the family. These birds are found throughout the whole world, with the exception of 

 Australia; but they principally frequent the temperate and frigid zones. They inhabit woods and 

 bushes, as well as mountains and deserts, and pass as much of their time upon trees as upon the 

 ground. Their food consists principally of corn, seeds of various kinds, and green leaves and buds. 

 Being eminently social, they mingle freely with their congeners, and very soon become attached to 

 man. In their movements they are somewhat clumsy, and much behind the Cross-bills in agility 

 and beauty. Their song is very simple and pleasing, and to this some add the gift of being able 

 to learn and imitate with great accuracy the notes of other birds. The nest is always carefully 

 hidden in trees or the clefts of rocks. The number of eggs is from four to six. 



THE PARROT-BULLFINCH. 

 The Parrot-Bullfinch (Paradoxornis flavirostris) should, as its name testifies, be assigned the 

 first place in this family. This is a very rare bird, and of striking appearance, inhabiting Southern 

 Asia ; it has not the beak of the true Bullfinch, the upper mandible not rising noticeably above the 

 lower one, but curving outwards towards the sides, as in some species of parrots. The wings are 

 somewhat feeble and decidedly rounded, the sixth quill being longer than the rest ; the tail is 

 long, graduated, and strong ; the legs and feet very powerful, the toes of middle length, and the 

 claws much bent. Its soft and flowing plumage is of a greyish brown, somewhat lighter on the 

 under parts of the body, reddish brown on the back of the head and neck ; the mantle olive- 

 coloured, with a band of deep black round the throat and over the ear-covers ; the face, skull, 

 cheeks, and throat are white, spotted or striped with a darker colour, and there are tawny tints 

 upon the belly, becoming redder upon the sides. The beak is of a brilliant yellow ; the feet 

 leaden coloured, the eye reddish brown. In size this bird resembles our common bullfinch, its 

 length being about eight inches, three of which belong to the tail. The wing measures three inches 

 from the shoulder to the tip. 



All the varieties of Parrot-Bullfinch with which we are acquainted are inhabitants of the 

 Himalayas. Jerdon tells us that the species we have just mentioned was seen by him in the 

 Khana Mountains, at a height of about 5,000 feet above the level of the sea; and it has been 

 observed by other travellers in Nepaul and Assam. " I found," he continues, " that they feed 

 upon a variety of seeds, and saw a female with two or three young ones that strongly resembled 

 her in colour; they were somewhat shy, but did not hide themselves, merely flying from tree to 

 tree." Another species was found by the above-mentioned naturalist in the bamboo woods of the 

 hilly districts of Nepaul, Sikkim, and Butan, where they feed upon all kinds of seeds. They flew 



