PALLA0B 8ANDOROU8E 



bought for next to nothing. Dr. Q. Radde 1 describes how the first 

 Hork of would-be breeding birdM arrived at the Tarei-Nor on March 

 10, 1H5;, when the thermometer at night fell to ty (nearly 30 below 

 freezing-point), while at midday it only reached 37. It in evidently a 

 very hardy bird, capable of withstanding a considerable amount of 

 cold. In the Tian Shan district too, Schalow* states that it breeds as 

 1 1 i.^li as the juniper region, some 10,000 feet al>ove sea-level. In these 

 desert regions it lias few enemies. Occasionally a Shungar falcon may 

 succeed in striking down one or two, but it is by no means invariably 



u- rxxful. l'n-.lator\ mammal- an- raiv. :m<l tin- harrm natiin of 

 the country prevents the possibility of an unobserved approach, while 

 the extremely rapid flight of this species renders its capture on the 

 wing unlikely. 



According to Radde's observations, the eggs of the first brood are 

 laid between the beginning of April and the end of the third week of 

 that month. He also saw young following their mother at the end of 

 April. Late in May he found them assembled in huge flocks, which 

 soon afterwards disappeared, returning again in the autumn. 

 Prjewalsky's eggs were taken in Ala-shan early in June, while most 

 of those taken by Russian collectors in 1906, and sent to Europe in 

 large numbers, were obtained during April and the early part of May. 

 As a large proportion of the birds which have visited us have 

 arrived in May, it is evident that they must have left their homes 

 and moved westward with the intention of breeding. Radde was of 

 opinion that they bred twice, if not three times, in the season, and 

 with no serious check to operate upon them, it is not surprising that 

 the increase in their numbers has resulted in extensive westward 

 movements in search of new breeding-grounds. 



The extraordinary phenomenon of the invasion of Europe 

 by a hitherto unknown game bird naturally attracted the atten- 

 tion of naturalists, and the subject lias been treated at 

 different times by various writers. The most important papers 



> O. Radde, Rei*. UN SOd. r. O. Sib., ii. p. 2K. * Jour. f. OrnttA., 1MB, p. V. 



