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Tn Italy it inhabits the loftiest portions of the Alps and Apennines, but does not range 
further south. Salvadori thinks that in Central Italy and in Sicily and Sardinia it is wanting. 
It is met with in the mountains of the Tyrol and Austria; but Dr. Anton Fritsch states (J. f. O. 
1871, p. 310) that it is with the greatest hesitation that he includes it amongst the birds of 
Bohemia. Fierling states that it occurs at Hohenelbe during severe winters; and Palliardi says, 
on the authority of the forester Lusek, that it appears annually during passage about Diedova 
and Planau, in the Chrudimer district, probably in company with Bramblings; but it appears 
probable that the Snow-Bunting has been mistaken for the present species. The Ritter yon 
Tschusi-Schmidhofen informs me that it is resident in the mountains of Upper Austria, Styria, 
Karnten, and Tyrol, in the winter season only coming down to the valleys. It has been observed 
near Salzburg on several occasions; and I may also add that it is said to occur in the Tatra 
Mountains. 
As regards the occurrence of the present species in Eastern Europe I am rather at a loss 
to. state any thing definite, owing to my non-success in obtaining specimens for examination, 
in spite of every endeavour to do so. There is no doubt that the Snow-Finch is found in 
the Caucasus, as well as in the peaks of Hermon and Lebanon in Palestine; but I cannot find 
any available specimen from the Caucasus, and Canon Tristram writes to me that his spe- 
cimens from Hermon and Lebanon have been lent and lost. The Snow-Finch from Persia 
has been described by Pallas as distinct under the name of Passer alpicola; and it is uncertain 
whether the bird from the Caucasus and Palestine agrees with this form, or with the one which 
is found in Southern and Western Europe. Iam indebted to Mr. Gould for the loan of his 
specimen of Montifringilla alpicola, a male in full summer plumage from Erzeroum; and on 
comparing this with the bird I have figured, I find that the eastern bird has a larger and stouter 
bill, and has the head ashy brown instead of clear ashy grey; but it does not differ in any respect, 
either in measurements or in coloration, from my specimens from the Swiss Alps; and I may add 
that these latter vary somewhat in the size of the bill. On the whole, judging from this single 
specimen, I am inclined to look on MW. alpicola as merely a local form and a somewhat doubtful 
species, and should require a larger series to decide if it should be allowed to stand as a distinct 
species. Mr. Blanford, who has examined and compared two specimens of M. alpicola from 
Mazandaran, in the Elburz Mountains, writes as follows :—‘‘'This appears to me a good species, 
distinct from MV. nivalis.. Pallas, who received it from the Caucasus and ‘the Ceraunian Moun- 
tains surrounding the Caspian,’ states that it is distinguished by its long bill. Not only is the 
bill longer and larger than in MW. nivalis, but it is black, whereas in the European Snow-Finch it 
is yellow in winter. In the Elburz specimens the black colour may have been assumed with the 
commencement of spring; but this is improbable, because the black of the throat is much con- 
cealed by white fringes, which would doubtless wear off in the nuptial plumage. Another 
important difference is that the bird of the Alps has the head cinereous in the male, even in 
winter plumage; in young males, even, it is very much more ashy than in the Elburz specimens. 
“This Snow-Finch is a permanent inhabitant of the Elburz. The specimens obtained were 
shot in the snow by a collector whom Major St. John sent into the mountains in February. In 
summer it keeps to a considerable elevation. De Filippi found it at the base of Demavend ; and 
I saw one flock near the coast of the Elburz, on the road from the Karij valley to Anan, at an 
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