^'''ig^.'^'] Hall, The Eastern Palccarctica and A iislralia. 03 



In tlu' lu'ld tlicy arc all Finches, of which I collected in Corea 

 eight species {Emberiza). In central Siberia the Finches pre- 

 dominate because of the type of food. The Snow Bunting 

 {Plcctyophcnax nivalis) nests in the nortliern forests or right on 

 the polar coast rocks of the Lena (Map II., a). One of the 

 Russian e.xiles gave me a specimen. Passer mo)ilaiiiis is the 

 common Sparrow of Corea. I found it or P. in. satiiraliis in central 

 Siberia. 



I collected tlie typical Scarlet Grosbeak {Carpodaciis erylhriniis 

 crythriniis) some 300 miles below Yarkutsk, where the Stanovoi 

 Mountains send out a fine spur. If not actually a Loxia, it is 

 first cousin to the one on the highlands of the Philippine Islands, 

 where an Australian l)ird (Megapode) meets it. Here we found 

 a dangerous " horse-tail " [Equiscta arvense), which sickens pack- 

 horses. The other species, Si-bik-te {Nyakitia), is wholesome and 

 fattening. 



We collected two species of Redpoll {Acanthis) and a Brambling. 

 The Redpoll moults a portion of its summer bill, which has grown 

 long. This is a most unusual performance for birds. 



Fringilla lappuiiiciis I found just out of its nest in the delta 

 of the Lena. 



I collected at Yarkutsk the Song-Lark of Britain {Alauda 

 arvensis) — probably the only species that goes to winter near 

 Shanghai. The Australian member of the Alaiididcv is Mirafra, 

 a truly fine songster, which is found right through to Shanghai. 



Galerita cristata is an extra fine mimic of other birds in song. 

 Larks moult once a year, Pipits twice. Of the Pipits we collected 

 some most interesting forms — the Blue-throated, the Tree, and 

 Richards's. Pipits and true Wagtails make up the great family 

 of Moiacillidce, the latter being, strangely enough, absent from 

 Australia, except for a wind-blown specimen. Pipits are cosmo- 

 politan, leaving out Polynesia. One form only is found in 

 Australia, one in the Antarctic, and at least three I collected in 

 the Arctic. Richards's Pipit [Anthiis richardi) migrates from the 

 Upper Lena to the Malay Archipelago (Map VIII., h to b'). The 

 young, after the first moult, is brighter than it is afterwards. 

 This appears so with the Australian Pipit. It is partially 

 so in several species of other genera — e.g., the White-throated 

 Tree-creeper (C. lettcophcea) having a rufous rump. The young 

 of Corvns orientalis, just as with C. aiistralis, neither improves nor 

 loses the whole adult degree of intensity in the first plumage. 

 The Blue-throated Pipit {Anthiis cervinus) is a sub-species of the 

 English Meadow Pipit. It is rather wonderful the cold areas 

 these birds get into. One may find a Pipit on the highest Aus- 

 tralian mountain (Kosciusko). The European Tree-Pipit {Anthiis 

 irivialis trivialis) I found in tlie Baikal district, hovering above 

 its nest- bush while singing. 



Of the White Wagtails [Motacilla alba ocularis) whicli I 

 collected in tlie Lena delta, one is found also in Ahiska in June 

 (Map VIIL, a, a). It comes south to Burma with the tide of 

 immigration in August {a to a'). 



