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SOME BIRDS OBSERVED AT FAGOO, NEAR SIMLA. 



BY 



H. Whistler, f.z.s., m.b.o.u. 



While on a short spell of casual leave iu Simla this year 

 ^1918], I seized an opportunity of going out to Fagoo in 

 hopes of obtaining some birds new to my collection, Fagoo is 

 the name of a stage 14 miles from Simla on the main Hindustan- 

 Tibet road ; the Dak Bungalow there is situated at a height of 8,200 

 ft. But the ridge behind the Bungalow rises somewhat higher. 



The name of Fagoo will be familiar to students of the earlier 

 records of Indian ornithology, as both Beavan and Tytler obtained 

 some specimens there, and the locality also is mentioned in some 

 of Hume's notes. 



I reached Fagoo on 25th October and returned from there again 

 to Simla on 31st October; during this period a heavy storm occurred 

 and fresh snow fell on some of the hills further north. At Fagoo 

 there was hoar frost every night, which remained all day in 

 sheltered patches. It will be seen from the notes below that many 

 of the birds from the higher Himalayas had already arrived. 



The country round Fagoo is on the whole disappointing ; with 

 the exception of small protected forests, the hillsides are somewhat 

 bare, consisting of rough cultivation and bush scrub, divided here 

 and there by small patches of oak or pine wood. 



1. The Jungle Crow — Corvus macrorhynchus levaillanti, Less. 



Abundant and generally distributed. 



2. The Himalayan Nut-cracker — Nucifraga caryocatactes hemispila, Vig. 



Two pairs were seen and another one or two heard in the 

 woods about Fagoo between 7,500 and 8,500 ft. The curious 

 harsh call carries a long way in the nullahs and reveals the presence 

 of birds which otherwise escape notice. One pair observed feed- 

 ing, were busily engaged in searching the needle clusters of a 

 Pinus longifolia. Although not ordinarily shy, their suspicion is 

 easily aroused and it is not then easy to secure a specimen. 



3. The Indian Grey Tit — Parus atriceps, Horsf . 



A few observed about Kasumpti (6,500 ft.) and at Fagoo. 



4. The Green-backed Tit — Parus monticolus monticolus, Vig. 



Very common and noisy and one of the most conspicuous 

 members of all hunting parties. 



5. The Crested Black Tit — Parus melanolophus, Yig. 



Very common and found in all hunting parties ; the long crest 

 is carried erect and with the pure white cheek and nape patches 

 gives the bird a very distinctive appearance. 



6. The Red-headed Tit — Aegithalos erythrocephalus erytkrocephaly^,(Vig). 



Several flocks of this beautiful little tit were met with, in every 

 instance forming part of a larger mixed hunting party. 



7. The White-throated Laughing Thrush — Oarrulax alhogularis, Gould. 



Two small flocks were met with in some heavy jungle at about 

 7.500 ft. when I was beating for Pheasants. They were very shy 

 and moved quickly through the forest uttering their weird cries. 

 This is the first occasion on which I have come across this species 



