554 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Another species of Snow-cock occasionally obtained by Indian 

 sportsmen is Tetraogallus tibetcmus, Gould, figured in the Birds of 

 Asia, pt. v., pi. 4 ; but as it has not, I believe, been procured on 

 this side the Snowy range, I shall only briefly describe it without 

 giving it a place among the Birds of India. It is the smallest of 

 the group, only measuring 22 inches; wing 10;^ ; tail 7 ; tarsus 2h. 

 It has the head and neck grey ; the ears white ; the upper plumage 

 generally freckled with bu£f, grey, and black, which latter color 

 forms conspicuous dashes ; the primaries grey, secondaries broadly 

 edged externally with white, forming a marked wing-band ; tail 

 rufous brown ; beneath, the chain, throat and breast are white, 

 separated from the grey of the head and neck by a dusky freckled 

 line, and with a gorget of freckled grey and buff; the abdomen 

 white ; the flanks and lower belly with dashes of black, and the 

 under tail-coverts entirely black. Bill horny ; legs red ; called 

 Hidnwal in Kumaon. 



It has been found in Ladak, Rukshu and other places across the 

 Himalayas. Major James Sherwill informed me that he had seen a 

 bird of this genus close to the snows in the Sikim Himalayas, 

 which he was inclined to identify as the present species, and if 

 so, it must be included among the Birds of India ; but, as he did 

 not bring specimens, I must content myself with the above notice. 

 Lt. Speke informed Mr. Blyth that it was very tame and fearless, 

 and could be approached so near as to be knocked down by a 

 stone. Lt. Forbes, however, assured me that those which he 

 procured were not quite so accessible, probably having been 

 occasionally shot at and disturbed. 



The other species of Tetraogallus are T. caucasicus, Pallas ; 

 (Caspius, Gmelin; LopJwjyh. nigelli, of Jardine and Selby, lUust. 

 Orn. pi, 76) figured by Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. V., pi. 1. 

 This is found in the high mountain ranges of Persia. T. 

 altaicus, Gebler, figured by Gould in the same number at 

 plate 3, more resembles T. tihetanus, but is larger, wants the 

 white wing-band, and the lower abdomen and thigh-coverts are 

 black. It is from the Altai mountains. Chourtka alpina of 

 Motchoulski is considered by Gould to form a fifth species of 

 this jrenus. 



