Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 713 



XXXVIII. — Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



We have received the following letters, addressed "■ To the 

 Editors of ' The Ibis ' " :— 



Sirs, — I have just returned from three months' leave 

 (17th May to 8th Jaly), during which I have visited the 

 Kaghan Valley, the most northern strip of British India, and 

 I think that my experiences there as regards bird-life may 

 be of some interest to your readers. 



This valley is about 100 miles long by 15 broad on the 

 average, varying in altitude from 3000 feet at the entrance 

 to 17,360 feet at its highest peak. In fauna and flora, as 

 well as in scenery, it closely resembles Kashmir, which 

 bounds it on the west. Altogether some 150 species of birds 

 were met with, but as most of my time was spent at levels 

 of above 10,000 feet, many others must have been found if I 

 had been at lower altitudes. The following are some of the 

 more interesting species : — 



jEgithaliscus niveigularis (rare). Hodgsonius phoenicuroid" 

 (rather scarce). Acrocephalus agricola (common from 8000 

 feet to 10,000 feet, in patches of Sambucus ebulus, in which 

 it was nesting, often a long way from water). Ruticilla 

 frontalis and R. rufiventris (both fairly common, especially the 

 latter). Merula maxima (nesting freely in juniper-scrub). 

 Accentor rufilatus (scarce). Pycnorhamphus carneipes and 

 Propasser dubius (a few pairs met with). Pyrrhuspiza punicea 

 (rare). Carpodacus erythrinus (abundant : some males were 

 breeding in immature plumage) . Anthus maculatus (commoii 

 above 1 1 ,000 feet : Oates has not recorded it west of the River 

 Sutlej). Motacilla citreoloides (abundant : about half the 

 pairs were breeding in immature plumage ; it does not there- 

 fore assume full plumage at its first spring moult). Otocorys 

 longirostris (fairly numerous at the head of the valley, several 

 nests were found). Aquila chrysaetus (the common Eagie 

 above 10,000 feet). Spizaetus limnaetus (I found one sitting 

 on a single dried-up egg, and shot her for identification). 



SER. II. VOL. III. 3 B 



