PRELIM I NAKY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



the invasion of 1876, as already mentioned. The more gradual extension of 

 the species' breeding range into European Russia during recent yean must also be 

 noted (cf. Remann, Ornitholty- Jaturbuck, 1008, p. 232). The irruption* into western 

 and northern Europe may perhaps be considered to be mysteriously exaggerated 

 and extended phases of these more explicable movements. But as such they are 

 certainly almost without parallel : gradual range extensions are common occur- 

 rences (e.g. hawfinch, shorelark ; of. antea, vol. i. pp. 66, 204), but sudden invasions 

 have seldom been known, one of the few other instances being that of the rose- 

 coloured starling, whose movements, however, are more easily accounted for 

 (cf. antea, vol. ii. pp. 108-109, 137-138), and the crossbill. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Practically no nest is made by this bird ; the hen 

 scratches out a hollow in a spot where there is light sandy or salt-impregnated 

 soil. Sometimes a little marram grass is added by way of lining, and in Siberia 

 shoots of the various salt-loving plants which grow in the vicinity are also some- 

 times but not always used. W. H. Bateson (quoted in Oolhtca Wolkyana, ii. p. 11) 

 found many nests on the Shu River, Turkestan, in depressions among the tufts of 

 Artemisia which covered the steppe. The eggs are usually 2 or 3 in number, quite 

 exceptionally 4, and are elliptical in shape, so that the " big " and " little " ends 

 are practically indistinguishable. They do not vary much in colour and markings, 

 but the ground colour ranges from light stone-colour to warm brownish, and they 

 are irregularly spotted and blotched with small or medium-sized markings of deeper 

 brown, and underlying smudges and spots of pale ashy grey. (PI. F.) Average 

 size of 71 eggs, 1 '65x1-16 in. [42*1 x 29*6 mm.]. The breeding season in Asia 

 begin fi. according to Radde, about 13th April, while two or even three broods are 

 said to be reared during the season. Fresh eggs can undoubtedly be obtained till 

 the end of May in Asia, and probably also later, while in Europe they have been 

 laid as late as 19th June, and the newly-hatched chick described by Professor 

 Newton was found on 8th August. As the incubation period is estimated by 

 Christiansen at about 24 days (although some eggs placed in an incubator by 

 Blaauw took 28 days to hatch out), the egg from which this chick was hatched 

 could not have been laid earlier than about 10th July. Incubation is, as far as 

 we know, performed by both sexes ; and in the case of at least two other species, 

 the male bird takes charge of the eggs at night and the female by day. [r. c. B. jr.] 



5. Food. In Asia the normal food of this species consists of the seeds and 

 also the fleshy shoots of the various salt-loving steppe plants, such as Sabola seeds 

 and shoots of Salicornicc (Radde), and seeds of Agriophyllum gobicum (Prjcwalsky). 



