from Western Szechuen. 371 



the pines and rhododendrons above Ta-chien-lu^ about 13,000 

 feet above the sea-level. 



■" Merula ruficollis. 



There are two examples in Mr. Pratt's collection which are 

 only referable to this species. They have much rusty-red 

 on the breast and tail, but none on the back or flanks. 



i^ Grandala cceltcolor. 



There are several examples of this species in the collection. 

 It lives on the rocks close to the limit of perpetual snow, 

 and only descends to 8000 feet during exceptionally severe 

 snow-storms. It is an insect-eating bird, and is said to look 

 exactly like a Swallow on the wing. 



Ntltava sundara. 



There is one example of this species in the collection. 

 Mr. Pratt picked it up dead near a glacier 16,000 feet above 

 the sea. 



-f Pyrrhocorax graculus. 



An example in the collection measures 12;^ inches in length 

 of wing from carpal joint, 2 inches in length of bill from 

 frontal feathers, and 2*2 inches in length of tarsus. These 

 may be regarded as typical measurements, rather larger than 

 the form usually found in the extreme west of the Palaearctic 

 Region (wing 10| to 12 inches), or than that found in the 

 extreme east of that region (wing lOf to 12 inches), but not 

 quite so large as those that are sometimes found in the 

 intervening district from Asia Minor across Afghanistan and 

 Turkestan to the Himalayas (11 to 13^ inches). It seems 

 probable that when larger series have been examined neither 

 the supposed large rare Pyrrhocorax graculus himalayanus 

 (Gould), nor the supposed small race, Pyrrhocorax graculus 

 brachypus (Swinhoe), will be maintainable. Dr. Sharpe is in 

 error in giving the name Fregilus graculus, var. orientalis, pre- 

 cedence over that of Swinhoe. It was not given by Dybowsky 

 (J. f. Orn. 1868, p. 332), as stated by him in the third 

 volume of the ' Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,' but 

 four years later by Taczanowski (J. f. Orn. 1872, p. 454). 



