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T H E SCARLET ROSE FINCH, ^
Carpodacus erythriuus. PALL.
Q T R I C T I v Y speaking, perhaps this beautiful bird ought not to be included in
the present -work, inasmuch as two examples have been captured in Great Britain;
oue on the Brighton downs in 1869, the other at Hanipstead in the succeeding
year. It is, however, one of the birds nsnall}' offered for sale in the market of
Calcutta, and consequently is tolerably frequently imported in consignments of
Indian birds. Its range extends through Northern Europe and Siberia to Kamtschatka,
to the south of which localities it winters, especially in India and the
Burmese Peninsula. To Western Europe it is an occasional visitor.
There are two objections to this, as a cage-bird:—after the first moult, all the
rose-colouring disappears, and is replaced b)^ yellow; and there is nothing specially
beautiful in its song: indeed a specimen which niy sister, the late Dr. Fanny
Butler, brought me from India, never got beyond its rather plaintive, though
musical, call-note.
The prevailing colour of this Rose-Finch is crimson, most brilliant on the
head, throat, breast, and hinder part of the back; on the abdomen it is bright
rose, which fades into bufEsh white on the under tail-coverts. The wings and
tail are brown, with vinous margins to the feathers. Length inches. Beak
and legs fleshy brown, iris hazel.
The general colour of the hen is brown, darkest on the crown, nape, wings,
tail, throat, and breast; the feathers of the head also have dark centres; the
back and rump are slightly olivaceous; the tips of the wing-coverts, the margins
of the innermost secondaries and of the throat and breast feathers, with the
remainder of the under surface, are paler.
Mr. Seebohm says of this species:—"The song of the Scarlet Rose-Finch is
a very striking one, and not to be confused with that of any other bird. It
is a loud, clear whistle^tn-whit', tu-tli'-i. It does not require a great stretch of
imagination to fancy the bird says, "I'm pleased to see you," the word "see"
being strongL- accented and slightly prolonged. The song is never \'aried, but is
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