NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF CHI TRAL. 905 



April. The owner of a Sparrow Hawk in want of something to do often hunts 

 them. Beating the little beggar out {li possible) provides the chief excitement , 

 the hawk being seldom wanted. 



* ^?). — A tailed wrea. 



In December about the Lower Drosh farm (about 4,200 feet I think) there 

 were several wrens with long tails hanging about for some time. My two 

 skinners were not at that time up to small birds, and I, thinking they would 

 improve in this line sooner than they did (they never became really reliabk- 

 with small birds), rather put ofiE shooting small birds, which I thought I could 

 get later. In January I awoke to the fact that these birds were probably a 

 prize. I never saw them again. 



Family— KEGULID^. 



*(3.58) Requlus cristatus — (The Goldcrest.) 



Very common in winter down to 6,000 feet in the cedar forests in parties with 

 tits. A few were seen as low as Drosh Fort. It was also seen in June above 

 Drosh at about 7,500 feet. 



Family— SYLVIIDJ3. 



I confess to having shied off Warblers, I fancy Capt. Fulton did too. Thanks 

 to Mr. Gates, the identification of a clean, fresh-killed adult specimen is not so 

 formidable as it appears. I am sorry that I did not procure the ones that even 

 I, a tyro in warblers, could discern, without shooting, as being different species. 

 There were only a few such in the main valley, but I saw quite a dozen on m> 

 trip up the Mastuj Valley, I only took two skins, which I briefly mention 

 below. I saw birds very like the English Blackcap. Nightingale and Sedge 



Warbler. 



(401) Sylvia altlma — (Hume's Lesser White-throated Warbler.) 

 -(408) Phylloseopwi tudicus.—(OLi\ACEOvs Willow-Warbler."* 



Both from near Mastuj. In parts the river bed is covered with reeds and 

 willow ; small undergrowth covers the banks, an ideal place for warblers. 



(418) Phylloscopus humii— (Uxju^'s WiLLOW-Yf ARBhER.) 



Not noted by me. Fulton obtained one in April at 10,000 feet and one in 

 September at 6,000 feet. 



Family— LANIID.ffi. 



(473) Lanius vittatus — (The Bay-backed Shrike.) 



Very common summer visitor, arriving the end of April up to 6,000 feet. 



(476) Lanius er7jthronotus—{Tay. Kcfous-backed Shrike.) 



Very common summer visitor, arriving beginning of April up to 7,000 feet. 



(477) Lanius tephronotus—(Tnv: Grey-backed Shrike.) 



1 did not meet this bird. Fulton states that he got one specimen in April at 

 Drosh, but is rather doubtful as to his identification being correct. 

 (495) Pericrocolus brevirostrh — (The Short-billed Minivet.) 

 Very common summer visitor. Fii-st seen on 9th April at 4,000 feet in Main 

 Valley ■ common for about a month after at about 4,500 feet ; then it went up 

 to 6,000 feet except a few stray birds. 



