1844.] Synopsis of Indian Fringillidce. 955 



as many as three species of true Goldfinches, allied to the European 

 species, and similarly adorned with crimson around the base of the 

 beak, inhabit Chinese Tartary, and at least one I believe occurs at 

 Darjeeling ; but I have never chanced to see either species in any col- 

 lection from the Himalaya, though the two following are described to 

 inhabit the range. 



1. C. caniceps, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 23; Gould's ' Century,' 

 pi. XXXIII, fig. 1, and more correctly represented in Royle's 'Illustra- 

 tions of the Botany &c. of the Himalaya mountains,' pi. VIII ; Gould's 

 figure being much too dark, and, together with that of Royle, having 

 the wings too short, and the fore-neck and breast too uniformly em- 

 browned, at least than in an Afghan specimen from which I took 

 the following description. — " Differs most obviously from C. commu- 

 nis in the absence of any black upon the head, excepting between 

 the bill and eye. Length about four inches and three-quarters, of 

 wing three and a quarter, and tail two and one-eighth ; bill to fore- 

 head five-eighths, and tarse half an inch. Upper-parts light greyish- 

 brown, greyer on the head and neck ; band crossing the front of the 

 neck, with the sides of the breast, the same : forehead and around the 

 bill crimson; and wing black, marked with bright yellow, and with white 

 on the extremity of the outer edge of the tertiaries, as in the European 

 species ; tail likewise similar to that of C. communis : the rump, 

 upper and lower tail- coverts, belly, middle of breast, and around the 

 crimson of the throat and sides of the head, are white : beak pale carneous 

 with a black tip ; and legs pale/' 



2. C. Burtoni, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 90. " C. fronte et regione 

 circum-oculari pulchre roseis ; vertice genisque nigris ; corpore obscure 

 fuscescenti-roseo, alis externe nigris, singulis plumis plus minusve 

 albo ad apicem notatis ; ala, spuria alba, ; rectricibus caudse nigris, 

 duabus intermediis ad apicem albis, duabus proximis longius ad apicem 

 albis, reliquis alba nota interne ad basin excurrente, ornatis ; rostro, 

 pedibusque pallide fuscis. Long. tot. 6£ unc. ; rostri -J; alse 3|- ; cau- 

 dee 2^ ; tarsi f . Himalaya. This species departs in some respects from 

 the other members of the genus, particularly in the robust form of the 

 beak, which is slightly angulated at the base : the form of its wings 

 and tail, together with their peculiar markings, however, clearly points 

 out that it is only an aberrant species of that group." 



