392 BIRDS OF INDIA, 



viewed from above, is that of a Pyrrhula, whilst viewed laterally, 

 it is like that of a stout Emberiza. It appears to lead through 

 Pyrrhula striolata, Riipp., to Serihus, and thence to Chrysomitris." 



733. Pyrrhoplectes epauletta, Hodgson. 



Pyrrhula, apud Hodgson, As. Res. XIX. 156 — Horsf., Cat. 

 685— Pyrrhuloides, apud Blyth, J. A. S., XIII. 951 and XXIV. 

 257 — Llw samprck-pho, Lepch. 



The Gold-headed Black Bull-finch. 



Descr. — Male, with the top of the head and occiput bright 

 golden orange ; the rest of the body brownish black, except a 

 tuft of golden yellow feathers on the axillaries, and the inner 

 webs of the uppermost tertiaries are partially white. 



The female is reddish brown, with the forehead and neck grey, 

 and the coronal patch, with the ear coverts, dull greenish saffron ; 

 axillaries as in the male ; primaries and tail dusky, with the white 

 on the tertiaries, as in the male. 



Bill dusky horny ; legs brown ; irides brown. Length 5| 

 inches ; wing 3 ; tail 2£; bill at front y 7 ^ ; tarsus -f£. 



This remarkably colored Bull-finch has only been found in 

 Nepal and Sikim, and is very rare. I got one pair near Darjeeling 

 in the winter. Hodgson says, " inhabits the Northern and 

 Central regions of Nepal, shy, adhering to the forests." 



3rd. — Cross-bills — (Loxiince of some.) 



These are a very remarkable group of Finches, somewhat allied 

 to the Bull-finches, with the colors of the Rose-finches, but well 

 distinguished from both by the peculiar structure of their bill. 

 They are stout birds with large heads and strong bills, with the 

 mandibles crossed and overlapping, and they are generally distri- 

 buted over the northern parts of both Continents, one species 

 only having been found in the Himalayas. Bonaparte, as before 

 mentioned, does not separate them from the Rose-finches. 



Gen. Loxia, Linn, (restricted.) 



Char. — Bill somewhat lengthened, strong, compressed towards 

 the tip ; the culmen keeled strongly, hooked at the tip, and both 



