138 Letters, Announcements, 6fc. 



species of birds — I fancy, owing to the comparative want of vege- 

 tation here. The common species of the plains, unknown at 

 Darjeeling, frequently occur here, such as Neophron percnojjterus, 

 Milvus govinda, Acridotheres tristis, and Passer indicus. At 

 Darjeeling P. montanus is the only species; here it apparently 

 does not occur, the only Garden-Sparrow I have hitherto seen 

 being Passer cinnamomeus. The pretty Himalayan Siskin, 

 Chrijsomitr'is spinoides, is not rare; and earlier in the season a 

 Rose Finch, Carpodacus erythrinus, was abundant, but it seems 

 to have migrated since the weather became warm. 



Picus himalayanus, P. hrunneifrons, and Gecinus squamafus are 

 the only Woodpeckers I have yet seen : the first is rare, but the 

 second and third species are tolerably abundant. The Titmice 

 are well represented by Parus monticolus (common), Machlolo- 

 phus xanthogenys, Vig. (rarer), Lophophanes melanolophus (which 

 breeds here), and that beautiful little red-headed Titmouse 

 jEgithaliscus erythrocephalus. Corvus intermedius is the only 

 Crow we have here, as far as I know ; yet Dr. Jerdon's informa- 

 tion regarding this species is very scanty ; he does not even give 

 its dimensions. I hasten to supply the deficiency from speci- 

 mens shot by myself : — 



Long. tot. alae. caud. tars. rostr. a fr. 



A. 19 in. Ill 8 2 21 



B. 19 12 8 2| 2i 

 Irides dark brown, bill and legs black. 



This species has the habits of C. culminatus, but is decidedly 

 smaller, with a proportionately longer tail. It has a peculiar 

 habit, which I have not noticed in any other species of Crow, 

 of soaring high in the air (generally of an evening) in circles, 

 like the Kites and Vultures, frequently to an immense height. 



Yours, &c., 



R. C. Beavan. 



Simla, August 14tli, 1866. 



Sir, — It does not appear generally known that we possess a 



beautiful little cage-bird up here, which sings beautifully and is 



abundant, our Himalayan Siskin, Chrysomitris spinoides, Vigors. 



It puts me forcibly in mind of the English Greenfinch, Fringilla 



