1922.] the Birds of Sind. 655 



As with Ji\ melanocephala, males vastly predominate ; the 

 reason for this I thought was that the sexes mioratcd sepa- 

 rately and the females came through later and perhaps 

 halted a shorter time. Its migrations too, I think, closely 

 resemble those of its congener as it passes through Lower 

 Sind and Beluchistan and Persia, and is found in summer as 

 far west at all events us Jiake Van in N.AV. Persia (Ibis, 

 1907). As this bird is not found south of the line Mesopo- 

 tamian plain — Persian Gulf, its migrations must largely 

 partake of an east-west character. 



There is not much variation in the plumage of this bird, 

 the adult autumn plumage is much the same as the spring ; 

 the males of the year have the head browner than the adults, 

 and the females have less chestnut above and below than 

 the males ; there is no spring moult. 



Nine males measure: wing 85-91; tail 75-79 ; bill from 

 base 13'8-11"5 mm. 



Emberiza melanocephala Scop. " Booreo.'^ 



Tiio Black-headed Bunting is very common throughout the 

 cultivated parts on spring and autumn passage, and its times 

 of coming and going are most regular. It arrives in Lower 

 Sind in the last days of March, and the passage continues 

 till mid- April, while Jn the autumn ^the first arrivals may bo 

 seen in the last days of August, and all have moved on again 

 by the third week in September. They keep to themselves, 

 not associating much with E. huchanani, whose times of 

 passage are coincident, and on spring passage particularly 

 affect cereal crops, which are then in ear, doing great 

 damage. In 1869, according to Sir Evan James, so much 

 damage was done by these birds in the wheat-fields round 

 the Manchar Lake that the crops were not worth cutting. 

 The Sindhi name, which means " deaf," is given to this 

 bird as no amount of shouting will scare it from the crops. 

 Wintering farther to the south and cast in India, the 

 migrations of this bird can be traced through Sind 

 apparently crossing the Khirthar Range, as it is not common 

 in the Quetta Valley, on through Beluchistan into Persia, 



