the Birds of Peking. 21 



a distance. However, I checked this as far as possible by 

 inquiry made through an interpreter. 



The nomenclature adopted in the following list is mainly 

 that which is employed by Messrs. Oates and Blanford in 

 the ' Fauna of British India.' In the case of birds which 

 do not occur in India I have used the classification of the 

 British Museum Catalogue. 



I am glad to take this opportunity of thanking Mr. Frank 

 Finn, of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, for much help in the 

 identification of my specimens. 



1. CORVUS TORQUATUS. 



In the middle of August, when I reached Peking, there 

 were very few of these handsome Crows ; from October 

 onwards they arrived in large numbers, and were quite 

 common during the winter. Most of them had left by the 

 middle of May, but I still saw an occasional specimen up 

 to the middle of July, when I went away from Peking. 

 They are very wary birds and unusually silent for Crows, 

 though they have the usual deep harsh a caw." One call, 

 which is often uttered on the wing, consists of three notes, 

 with an interval of a fifth between the first and second, the 

 third note being the same as the second. 



2. CORVUS MACRORHYXCHUS. 



Common, but less so than C. pastinator. The specimens 

 that I got in Peking are identical with Indian birds. 



3. CORVUS PASTINATOR. 



A very common resident. Nearly all the Rooks and 

 Crows leave Peking in the early morning, large mixed flocks 

 of the various species going off to feed in the Hunting 

 Park and in the fields round the city. They come back at 

 sunset to roost. 



4. CORVUS DAURICUS. 



This bird comes to Peking at about the same time as 

 C. torquatus. It was especially numerous during the very 

 cold weather in December and January. Its voice is very 

 like that of the Fn<rlish Jackdaw. 



