ES eS YT -S-A AY

CARPODACUS RHODOCHLAMYS.
Red Mantled Grosbeak.

Pyrrhula (Corythus) rhodochlamys, Brandt, Bull. de ? Acad. de St. Pétersb. 1843, p. 27.
Strobilophaga rhodochlamys, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. App. p. 18.
Carpodacus rhodochlamys, Bonap. et Schlegel, Mon. des Loxiens, p. 22. pl. 25.

— Sophia, Bonap. et Schlegel, Mon. des Loxiens, p. 22. pl. 24.

 

Tur temperate regions of Upper India, the Himalayas, Thibet, and the more northern mountains of Altai,
are the principal localities inhabited by this species. I find that specimens from the Altai and from Upper
India are alike almost to a feather ; I also find that the fine male bird from which the Prince of Canino and

2

Dr. Schlegel drew their figure in their ‘‘ Monographie des Loxiens ” and one sent from St. Petersburg are
identically the same. This northern and eastern species is still very rare in the collections of Europe, and,
as is the case with many other birds inhabiting the great plateaus of Siberia and Tartary, little or nothing
is known respecting its habits and economy.

The term rhodochlamys being the first applied to the species, Iam compelled by the law of priority to
give it the preference over that of Sopiia, assigned to the adult male by the Prince of Canino and
Dr. Schlegel in honour of Her Majesty the Queen of Holland, which justly deserved compliment I ‘should
otherwise have been happy to perpetuate.

The male has the feathers of the supercilium, the cheeks and throat shining rosy white ; upper surface
greyish brown, strongly tinged with rosy red; the crown of the head washed with purplish rose-colour and
a line of dark brown down the centre of each feather; under surface and the rump of a deep rose-red ;
quills and tail-feathers brownish black, margined with greyish red; under wing-coverts rosy white; upper
mandible brownish grey, under mandible yellowish ; feet brownish yellow.

The general colour of the female is yellowish brown, somewhat lighter on the under surface, and with a
streak of brownish black down each feather ; the wings and tail are brown with paler margins, especially on
the greater and middle coverts of the wings.

The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size.