NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF CHITRAL. 45 



The treeless portion is bare, with the exception of patches of birch and 

 a small stunted willow and fruit-trees in the orchards. 



Parts of the treeless portion are quite destitute of anything except 

 small herbs, more especially that portion which is for a great time of 

 the year under snow. These parts, however, are covered with a most 

 luxuriant herbage immediately the snow melts, and form the summer 

 grazing grounds on which finches, larks, pipits and buntings abound. 



The valley i3 one of several parallel routes of the great migratory 

 highway and is the cause of there being — 



(1) Large numbers of certain species present for longer or shorter 



periods during certain seasons. 



(2) Stragglers found throughout the year, probably the sick and 



the lame left on the roadside. 



The country is also visited by certain species that either leave the 

 north to winter in warmer quarters or vice versa. 



During my short stay in the country I was only able to cover a 

 small portion of the district. These notes are confined entirely to the 

 birds found in those parts visited, which were roughly — 



(1) The valleys on the right bank below Chitral. 



(2) The Shishi Koh and the valleys on the left bank below Drosh. 

 (o) The main valley as far as Shost. 



(4) The Turikho Valley. 



(5) The range between the main valley and the Turikho. 

 With two exceptions all the birds are identified from skins. 



I have to thank Mr. E. Comber for kindly checking the identification 

 of the birds I sent him, and also for sending to the Natural History 

 Museum, South Kensington, some 80 species which I was unable to 

 identify or which we were doubtful of. 



I have also to thank Dr. Sharpe and the authorities at the South Kensing- 

 ton Museum for their courtesy in enabling me to identify the above birds. 

 The numbers and nomenclatures are in accordance with Oates' and 

 Blanford's Birds of British India. 



ORDER I.— PASSERES. 

 • Family Corvidce. 

 (4) Corvus biacrorhynchus. — The Jungle-Crow. 

 This species is common all the year at the lower ranges (4,500 feet) 

 and ascends the valleys to 11,000 feet in summer. It is very common 



