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FEINGILLA SPODIOGENA. 



(ALGERIAN CHAFFINCH.) 



Fringilla spodiogenys, Bp. Rev. Zool. t. iv. p. 146 (1841). 

 Fringilla africana, Levaill. jun., Expl. Scient. de l'Alg. (1855). 

 Fringilla spodiogena, Bp. Cat. Parzud. p. 18 (1856). 



Figures notabiles. 

 Levaill. jun., torn. cit. pi. 7. fig. 1 (6), fig. 2 (2 ). 



d ad. fronte et loris nigris : capite supra et nucha cffirulescenti-plumbeis : dorso et uropygio lutescenti- 

 viridibus : supracaudalibus plumbeis, viridi lavatis et anguste apicatis : cauda, remigibusque ut in Fringilld 

 ccelibe : scapularibus cserulescenti-plumbeis : genis, regione parotica et parauchenio vertici concoloribus 

 sed paullo sordidioribus : gula, gutture et pectore superiore sordide rosaceis : pectore imo et abdomine 

 albidis vix rosaceo lavatis : hypochondriis griseo-plumbeis, subcaudalibus albis : rostro obscure cserules- 

 centi-corneo : pedibus incarnatis : iride fusca. 



$ ad. haud a fcemina Fringilla ccelibis distinguenda. 



Adult Male (Tangiers, summer) . Lores and a narrow frontal line black ; head, sides of neck, and face 

 rich lead-blue ; centre of the back and rump dark yellowish green ; upper tail-coverts dark lead-grey, 

 marked with green ; scapulars lead-blue ; wings and tail as in Fringilla coslebs ; throat and breast light 

 reddish brown, appearing to be washed with pale rose-red, this colour fading on the abdomen to white, 

 washed with dull rose-brown ; flanks washed with pale slate-grey ; under wing-coverts white, the feathers 

 on the edge of the wing marked with black ; under tail-coverts white ; beak dull lead-coloured ; legs 

 brown; iris dark brown. Total length 5 - 8 inches, culmen 05, wing 3"5, tail 2 - 9, tarsus 0'75. 



Adult Female. Undistinguishable from the female of Fringilla ccelebs. 



The Algerian Chaffinch, which, though closely allied to our Common European Chaffinch, and 

 still more nearly so to Fr. tintillon, is a perfectly distinct and good species, is found in Northern 

 Africa, and is said by MM. Degland and Gerbe to have occurred in Southern Europe. These 

 gentlemen give an instance of its capture, which, however, is scarcely above all doubt. The 

 specimen they refer to is in the collection of M. Laurin, and was obtained in April 1861, at 

 Notre Dame de la Garde, near Marseilles, by the son of M. Gierre, a dealer ; and another was, 

 according to M. Jaubert, procured also near Marseilles. 



It is common, however, in Northern Africa. Mr. Osbert Salvin records it as " common 

 about Tunis ; but we lost sight of it on moving westward." Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake found it 

 in Eastern Morocco and Tangiers; and I have a specimen collected in the latter locality by 

 M. Olcese. It appears to be most numerous in Algeria, where M. Taczanowski writes to me he 

 "found them during the whole of the winter of 1866 in the wooded mountains of Algeria, but 

 never in large numbers. They occur in small flocks of a few individuals, and are generally seen 



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