DESERT TRUMPETER BULLFINCH. 98 



Degland also remarks of this bird, "This genus ( ' Coc- 

 cothraustes J was established by Brisson, and only includes 

 our Hawfinch. The Count cle Keyserling, Professor 

 Blasius, and M. Schlegel place in this genus the C. 

 Caucasicus of Pallas, Loxia rubicilla, Guldenstadt. But 

 this bird was only known to the latter naturalist; it 

 resembles in size, form, and coloration the Pine Bunting; 

 it is not certain that it belongs to the genus Coccoth- 

 raustes, and as it is only taken in the Caucasus, I do 

 not include it in this catalogue, and must refer for a 

 description to the "Revue" of M. Schlegel, p. 79." 



This description is that of Guldenstadt, and is very 

 clear and minute. 



It appears to be intermediate between the Pine Bull- 

 finch and the Hawfinch, of a soft red colour, variegated 

 with white and grey. It is indigenous to the Caucasian 

 Alps, delighting in the cold regions frequented by the 

 Pine Bunting, especially the beds of gravelly rivers, 

 where it feeds on the berries of the Hippophoes rham- 

 noides. It assembles in flocks, and imitates the notes 

 of the Bullfinch. There is scarcely any difference in 

 the sexes. 



/'The top of the head, throat, underneath the neck, 

 and chest, intense red, marbled with white acutely tri- 

 angular spots and streaks; abdomen and under tail 

 coverts weak rose, watered with white; tail feathers 

 below rosy-fuscous. Neck above and back greyish, with 

 a rosy tinge; tail feathers above rosy-fuscous. The base 

 of all the feathers which lie in situ, and which con- 

 stitute the greater part of all the plumage is intensely 

 grey. The closed wing is an inch shorter than the 

 tail; the primaries and tail quills are fuscous, indistinctly 

 margined with rose; the axillary feathers colour of the 

 back. The tail is three inches and six lines long; the 



