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A LIST OF BIRDS FOUND IN THE SIMLA HILLS, 



1908-1918. 



BY 



A. E, Jones. 



It ha^ often occurred to me that this list might be of some 

 interest to those who know these hills, but fear it cannot in any 

 way pretend to be exhaustive when such a bird as the Rufous- 

 chinned Laughing-Thrush (lanthocincla rujigularis) is omitted. 



Only those birds observed and identified by my friend, the late 

 P. T. L. Dodsworth, from whose M. S. notes many of these records 

 are taken, and myself are included. 



Some of the species, though resident, are wonderfully local, 

 while many of the migrants' occurrences are so sporadic that years 

 often lapse without a single specimen being seen, where in other 

 years the same species may be common. Again, many of the 

 records are only accidental visitors and might not occur again for 

 years. 



Dodsworth worked the lower hills and valleys, including a three 

 month's trip (January, February and March) in 1913, while 1 

 have devoted my spare time to the higher elevations. Our 

 investigations have extended from Kalka on the South to Suket on 

 the North-west and from Bilaspur on the West to Narkanda on 

 the North-east. The elevations explored were approximately from 

 2,000 ft. up to 10,000 ft. 



I take this opportunity of thanking Col. P. S. M. Burlton, 

 Superintendent of Simla Hill States, for his kindness in granting 

 me the privilege of visiting certain parts in this district, without 

 which many of the species now included woiild not have appeared, 

 and my many friends who have accompanied and helped me on 

 many a hard day's fag. 



The nomenclature is that adopted by Oates and Blanford in the 



" Fauna of India" volumes, and the serial numbers are those of the 



species in that work. 



4. The Jungle-Crow — Corvus macrorhynchus, Wagl. 



Common resident. Lays end of March to 1st week in May. 

 7. The Indian House-Crow — Corvus splendens, Viell. 



Dodsworth and 1 once saw a single specimen at " Annandale," 

 Simla. Common about Solon. Elevation 4,000 feet. 



12. The Red-billed Blue Magpie — Urocissa occipitalis, Blyth, 



Common in the lower valleys. Frequents the cultivated areas 

 where it breeds. Lays end of April and May. Eggs three to 

 six in number. 



13, The Yellow-billed Blue Magpie — Urocissa flavirostris, Blyth. 



Never observed nearer than Jungi in Mandi State, across the 

 Sutlej, There it appeared to be fairly common at 8,000 ft. 



