872 Asiatic Society. [No. 129. 



while others exhibit little more than a yellowish tinge ; and there is also seldom any 

 trace of yellow upon the breast at this age, beyond perhaps a feather or two, the rest 

 being light rufous-fulvous, while the isolated yellow feathers alluded to are not new and 

 indicative of a moult going on. In this state of plumage, great numbers may be now 

 (June and July) purchased of the dealers, while no yellow-breasted specimen will be 

 found among them; the latter, however, may be procured at the breeding assem- 

 blages, though only in a small proportion to the number of^birds; and these again 

 differ much in the quantity of yellow exhibited on their under-parts, it being perhaps 

 not until the fourth or fifth year, varying in different individuals, that the full amount 

 of this colour is thrown out. This species has its yellow paler and much less inclining 

 to orarfge than in the others, which latter, too, are devoid of any upon the breast, and 

 the female has no yellow lateral neckspot nor other trace of this colour, as occurs in 

 both the other species. 



Eu. Bengalensis ; Loxia Bengalensis, Lin.: Coccothraustes chrysocephala, Vie- 

 illot: Eu. albirostris (?), Swainson. Length five inches and three-quarters, by nine 

 inches and a quarter across; wing from bend two inches and three-quarters, and tail an 

 inch and three-quarters. In all states of plumage this may be readily distinguished from 

 the next species by the following characters ; — the rump (and head and neck of the 

 female and young) are not uniformly striated with the back and scapularies, but streak- 

 less, and the breast also is not marked with numerous longitudinal black streaks, but is 

 uniform pale fulvous, with a broad black pectoral cross-band more or less developed ; bill 

 also more neatly formed, of a glaucous colour, i. e. bluish or pearly white in the adult 

 male, whereas in the other it is deep black (as in Eu. Phillipensis). The mature male 

 has the crown brilliant golden-yellow, with a slight inclination to flame-colour; back 

 nearly streakless, and in one specimen dusky-blackish, while the rump is plain dingy 

 grey-brown ; a very broad black band crosses the breast, and the throat is white, and ear- 

 coverts and sides of the neck suffused with dusky. Another specimen is generally paler, 

 and has the throat, ear-coverts, and sides of the neck, pure white, with a tinge of yellow 

 beneath each eye ; the pectoral band is likewise interrupted in the middle, and considera- 

 bly less broad than in the preceding. An old female has the pectoral band entire, but 

 somewhat narrow; the crown streakless dusky-brown, slightly tinged with yellow; a 

 bright yellow spot on each side of the neck, beyond the ear-coverts ; superorbital streak 

 of the same, paling towards the occiput, and throat deeply tinged with yellow, which 

 forms a sort of moustache-streak on each side. Irides of all dark, and legs dusky flesh- 

 colour. These are the only adults I have seen, among multitudes of the young in 

 (presumed) second plumage. The latter were first brought to the bazar eaidy in 

 Way, when great numbers were to be seen, all very similar, and such as I have kept 

 alive from that time have as yet undergone no alteration : their feathers were worn, 

 occasioning the black pectoral streak to appear conspicuously in all ; whereas in an- 

 other large quantity of these birds recently brought, and from among which I select- 

 ed the adults, this pectoral streak was more or less concealed by terminal edgings to 

 the feathers, of the same pale fulvescent hue as the rest of the under parts : in other 

 respects all resembled the adult female, but the newly moulted birds have generally 

 the eye-streak, neck-spot, and throat of a brighter yellow, than when this plumage 

 becomes worn : bill flesh-coloured. Dr. McClelland, to whom I shewed both this 

 and the next species, is disposed to doubt whether either of them occurs in Bengal ; 



