THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 297 



found them for the cold season, or not ; but I am indined to believe that 

 the former opinion is the more likely one, as early in May we observed, in 

 Kan-su, small flocks of from five to ten individuals, which evidently were 

 migrating, or had just arrived. They principally kept to the juniper bushes, 

 in the middle mountain-ranges. At this time I saw these birds running for 

 the first time on the ground. 



The young males which I killed in spring still resembled the females 

 exactly; consequently it is most likely they get their full plumage only after 

 the second moult. In the middle of summer we obtained examples which 

 had just commenced to get a few black feathers on the breast ; these were 

 probably a year old. 



In the countries explored by us the Ala-shan mountains form the 

 northern limit of the distribution of the present species. 



153. Pyrrhula erithacus, Blyth. 



Pyrrhula erithacus, Blyth^ Ibis^ 1863_, pi. x. 



A short diagnosis of this pretty Bullfinch was given by Mr. Blyth 

 in 'The Ibis,' 1862, p. 389; but the female was not described there. He 

 received his specimen from the Himalayas. The female diff^ers from the male 

 by having all the underparts, with the exception of the white stomach, of a 

 light chocolate-colour on the shoulders ; but on the back this colour gets 

 darker. The two sexes do not differ in any other respect either in plumage 

 or in size. I must also add that only the adult has the bright orange- 

 coloured breast ; whilst the young has a yellow one, shaded with orange. 



Measurements :— length 6"-6''*3, width 9''-3-9''-7, wing 3"- 2 ; tail— outer 

 feathers 2"'76, middle ones 2'^-l ; tarsus 0"*6, gape 0"'43. Iris dark brown; 

 culmen black ; tarsus body-colour. 



We met with it only in Kan-su, where it principally inhabits the woods 

 of the lower and middle mountain-ranges, and only seldom visits the alpine 



VOL. II. 2 s 



