195 



view, and rarely more than about a fathom above the ground. Zarudny remarks that the nests 

 he found on the plains differed from those found in the mountains during his former journey in 

 Transcaspia, and he describes them as being elegant in construction, the outer part consisting of 

 fine twigs of all sorts of plants, and somewhat slightly, though strongly, fastened together, and 

 the inner lining is of soft cotton or wool. The eggs vary in number from three to six, and are 

 pale bluish white, seldom real blue, slightly marked with black or reddish-black dots, sometimes 

 larger and forming spots, and usually more numerous at the larger end of the egg ; sometimes 

 they are roundish, and sometimes elongated. Both male and female incubate, and the latter sits 

 so close that she maybe caught on the nest with the hand. These birds are sociable, and seldom 

 nest far from others of the same species. Dr. Walter took a nest containing seven eggs on the 

 16th April, which, he says, was more carefully constructed than the nests of Coccothraustes 

 vulgaris and Ligurinus chloris, but not so neat as those of the Chaffinch. It was placed in an 

 old mulberry-tree, in a deserted Persian garden, close to the stem of the tree, and about four feet 

 from the ground. According to Mr. Scully, it breeds in May, the nest being usually placed in 

 high trees, often in the poplar (Populus balsamifera). A nest obtained by him on the 13th of 

 June contained, he writes (Stray Feathers, 1876, p. 168), five eggs, in which the embryo was 

 found to be formed. The nest is of a broad oval shape, 5 - 75 inches in length by 4 in breadth ; 

 thickness of side wall about 0'5. It is made up of twigs and fibres. The egg-cavity is oval, 

 8-5 by 2'5 inches, lined with fine vegetable fibres and some horse-hair; depth of cavity T25. 

 The eggs are moderate ovals, smaller at one end, and are fairly glossy. The ground-colour 

 is pale bluish grey, with fine purplish-brown spots and streaks, sparingly scattered at the 

 small end, but accumulating to form nearly a cap or zone at the large end. In size they vary 

 from 0-76 to 078 inch in length, and from - 57 to - 58 in breadth: the average of four eggs 

 is 0-770 by 0-575. 



I am indebted to Mr. Scully for the nest and eggs of this bird, which agree closely with the 

 above description. 



The song of this Finch is said to be sweet and melodious, and, according to Zarudny, its 

 call-note resembles the syllables fink,finJc, ox pink, pink, not unlike the call of the Bullfinch, but 

 fainter and softer. Dr. Eadde says that it was in full song from the middle of February to the 

 end of May. 



Both Mr. Scully and Mr. Zarudny state that it feeds exclusively on seeds, and the latter 

 remarks that its staple food in Transcaspia consists of the seeds of the alchagi and saxaul. 



The specimens figured are the adult male and female above described, and are in my own 

 collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens : — ■ 



E Mas. H. E. Dresser. 



a, £ ad. Keleh Tschinar, Transcaspia, March 4th ; b, ? . Perewallnaja, Transcaspia, April 22nd, 1886 

 {Dr. G. Radde). c, $ . Kandahar, January 23i-d, 1881; d, $ . Abadeh, N. o£ Shiraz, Persia, July 1870 

 (Sir O. St. John), e, £ . Rany-Darja, October 17th (Severtzoff). f,$,g, ?. Guma, E. Turkestan, 

 September 1889 (Pevtzoff). 



