414 General N. M. Prjevalsky 



border ; this, too, is the colour of the specks on the tips of 

 the remaining rectrices. These specks are divided below 

 by a wide band from the basal half of the same rectrices, 

 where the prevailing colour is dark brown or blackish brown 

 mixed with white; the outer web of the first rectrix, and 

 sometimes of the second, is white. 



The female is not distinguishable from the male. 



Tliis bird, together with P. rnficollis, inhabits the meadows 

 in the mountain defiles of Northern Tibet at an elevation of 

 12,000 to 14,000 feet. There it appears to be local, and 

 is generally a rarer bird than its congener, although com- 

 mon enough. In the steppes of Koko-nor, where P. ruficollis 

 is numerous, we only once found a pair of P. barbata. In 

 Northern Tibet we only came across it on the north of the 

 Tang-la range, while P. ruficollis was frequently met with 

 on the southern slope of these mountains as well. In the 

 winter of 1884-85 P. barbata was occasionally met with 

 again, in company with P. ruficollis, in that part of Northern 

 Tibet marching with Grass (south of Lob-nor). In character 

 and habits of life both species are identical, though the note 

 differs. They live in the burrows of Lagomys ladacensis 

 which cover in countless numbers the meadow-expanses of 

 Koko-nor and Northern Tibet. In these burrows the little 

 bird we are describing passes the night and hides from dan- 

 ger ; here, too, it probably forms its nest. Its flight is undu- 

 latory, low, and rapid ; it is also a swift runner. In the 

 winter of 1880-81 P. barbata was occasionally found in 

 Northern Tibet in flocks of twenty to forty ; but we neither 

 heard its song nor that of P. ruficollis. 



8. Pyrgilauda kansuensis, sp. n. 



Minima. Notaeo brunnescente-fulvo ; capite sordidiore, uro- 

 pygio pallidiore. Collo postico albescente-fulvo, dorso 

 longitudinalitcr brunnco maculato. Gastra^o sordide 

 albo, corporis lateribus rufo tinctis. Remigum brun- 

 ncarum pogoniis externis fulvescente marginatis, speculo 

 alari minimo. llectricibus brunneis margine fulves- 

 ccntibus; cxteruarum pogoniis externis albis, reliquum 

 maculis albis variegatis. 



