412 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Gen. Fringilla, Linn, (as restricted.) 



Char. — Bill forming a perfect and somewhat lengthened cone, 

 b >th mandibles being of nearly equal thickness, the upper one 

 slightly notched near the tip; commissure about straight; wings 

 lengthened, pointed, with the first four primaries sub-equal, the 

 first rather shorter; tail moderate, forked; legs slender; feet 

 adapted for perching. 



The common Chaffinch of Britain, Fr. Calebs, L., is the type of 

 this form. 



752. Fringilla montifringilla, Linnjeus. 

 Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 188— Blyth, Cat. 653— Horsf., 

 Cat, 746. 



The Mountain Finch. 



Descr. — In summer, the male has the head, lores, cheeks, sides 

 of neck, back, and rump, blackish, with pale white edges to the 

 feathers of the rump; the shoulders and lesser-coverts rufous, 

 edged with white; secondary coverts also margined with whitish, 

 and a white spot on some of the quills ; these and the tail black, 

 edged with brownish yellow ; the outer tail-feathers margined at 

 their base with white ; beneath, from the chin to the breast, and 

 the flanks, rufous, passing into pale cinereous on the belly. In 

 winter the upper parts are black, the head and back edged with 

 rufous, and the rump pure white ; the sides of the head and the 

 nape much tinged with grey. The female differs, in having the 

 head grey, and less rufous on the breast. 

 Length 6 inches ; wing of ; tail 2i. 



This Finch, chiefly an inhabitant of the temperate and northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia, has been occasionally found in the 

 N. W. Himalayas during the cold weather. It was sent from 

 Afghanistan by Griffith, and Blyth has seen specimens from Simla 

 and Cashmere. At Mussooree, Button observed it as " a rare 

 winter visitant, though it may be common higher up. I have 

 only seen it in the flocks of Propasser rhodochrous" 



Besides the well-known Chaffinch of Europe, there are two or 

 three allied species from the north of Africa and adjacent isles. 



