68 CORVID.*;. 



more profusely spotted with white, and the white oil the lower 

 plumage is so extensive as to sometimes make this look almost 

 wholly white. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris red-brown ; bill horny brown ; legs 

 and feet black. 



Measurements. Length about 350 mm. ; wing 190 to 210 mm., 

 average about 200 or rather less; tail 160 to 170 mm. ; tarsus about 

 40 mm. ; bill about 50 mm. and decidedly more slender than in 

 liemispila and its subspecies. 



Distribution. N.W. Himalayas from Afghanistan, Gilgit, 

 Kashmir, Ladakh to S.E. Tibet, whence I have had specimens 

 sent me. Chambi Valley in Tibet and Sikkim. 



Nidification. Eggs sent me by Mr. D. Macdonald with the 

 parent birds from the Chambi Valley are exactly like those of 

 the European Nutcracker, very pale blue-green speckled with dark 

 brown spursely everywhere and a little more numerous at the 

 larger end. They measure about 33-6 x 24-6 mm. 



The nests were said to be neat facsimiles of those of the Indian 

 House-Crow, but neater and with a lining of pine-needles. 



Habits. These differ in no way from those of the last bird. 

 Osmaston says that it feeds principally on the seeds of the Blue 

 Pine (Finns excelsa) and of the Spruce (Picea morinda). 



Genus PYRRHOCORAX Vieill., 1816. 



The genus Pyrrliocorax contains the Choughs, of which there 

 are two species P. pyrrliocorax, the Bed-billed Chough, and 

 P. gracuhis, the Yellow-billed Chough, which occur unchanged 

 over a great area of three continents. Both are found within 

 Indian limits. 



They resemble the true Crows in colour, but differ from them 

 all in having the bill and feet brilliantly coloured. 



The bill is long and slender and gently curved throughout its 

 length ; the narial plumes are very short and dense, The tarsus 

 is quite smooth, differing markedly from the true Crows in this 

 respect. 



(48) Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. 

 THE RED-BILLED CHOUGH. 



Upupa pyrrhocorax Lirm*, Syst. Nat., eel. x, p. 118 (1758) (England). 

 Graculus ercmita. Blanf . & Gates, i, p. 43. 



Vernacular names. Tsayh (Kandahar). 



Description. The whole plumage glossy black. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris brown ; legs and feet vermilion-red, 

 claws black ; bill vermilion-red. 



Measurements. Total length about 450 mm.; wing 270 to 

 315 nun.; tail 150 to 170 mm.; culmen 45 to 60 mm.; tarsus 

 45 to 53 mm. 



