52 Dr. O. Fiusch^s Ornithologicnl Letters. 



A most welcome addition to our collection was a beautiful 

 species of Emberiza, allied to E. rutila, but larger, and, so far 

 as I can judge at present, E. iderina. This species, which we 

 afterwards found on the north-western part of the Altai, be- 

 hind Serianowsk, is almost restricted in its range to places 

 where the peculiar steppe-grass, the Tschid, grows. I was 

 surprised to find Passer domesticus to be the common Spar- 

 row of all the villages. 



During our second visit to Ala-kul we observed Ibis falci- 

 nellus, many Cormorants, apparently of the common species, 

 Grrus virgo, Glareola torquata, and on the steppe Coracius 

 garrula and Merops apiaster. Near Urdschar the song of 

 the Nightingale [Luscinia philomela) was heard in the willow 

 trees, and a Butcher-bird was procured like Lanius arenarius. 

 In crossing the Tarbagatai Mountains Ave had to traverse 

 several plateaux with steppe-like character. We obtained 

 the young of Gj-us virgo, and saw many Eagles, apparently 

 A. fulva and A. imperialis. Ascending the Tarbagatai to Sais- 

 san, we found Pastor roseus abounding in the rocky ravines : 

 one Hock was estimated to contain a thousand birds ; and a 

 single shot killed twenty-five of them. 



In Saissan, where we resided from the 27th to the 30th of 

 May, I had only time to make one excursion to the rocky 

 mountains which surround the little town. Dr. Brclim, how- 

 ever, and Count Waldburg made a trip with a Kirgis hunter 

 to the Manrack Mountains, in order to shoot Megaloperdix, 

 of which Dr. Brehm wae fortunate enough to secure one. 

 It does not belong to the Altai species [M. altaicus), but may 

 perhaps be the same as Tetr aog alius nig elli. Some specimens 

 of a fine species of Ruticilla, unknown to me, were secured, 

 and a fine species of Linaria, apparently the same as the 

 Himalayan bird. It was afterwards observed in the high 

 Altai. During this time I shot Muscicapa grisola, the only 

 species of Flycatcher seen during our whole journey ; I also 

 obtained Saxicola leucomela, a species of Emberiza, and a 

 Carpodacus allied to C. githagineus, both apparently new. 



From Saissan we went to the Kara Irtisch, and down 

 this beautiful river to the Nor-Saissan, a magnificent lake. 



