MUNNI-ULA. MONGOL TRADITION. 165 



lumba rupestris) ; the mountain pipit {Anthus ro- 

 sacais) inhabits the alpine meadows. In the tree 

 belt several of the small warblers make their appear- 

 ance ; the redstart {Ruticilla aztrorea), the bunting- 

 {Emberiza sp.), the nut-hatch [Siita sinensis), the 

 л\теп {Ti'oglodytcs s"^,) the greater titmouse {Pcecile 

 cincta^), Phyllopneuste siipei'ciliosns, Phyllopncuste 

 sp., Pterorhimis Davidii, Drymceca extensicaiida ; 

 woodpeckers {Picus sp., Picas martitis rare) tap the 

 trees, pheasants {PJiasianns torqimhcs) call morning 

 and evening, and at sunset the monotonous hooting 

 of the Japanese owl [Caprimulgus yotacd), called 

 in Siberia ' the blacksmith,' resounds on all sides. 

 Below the tree-belt in the dry ravines and among 

 the rocks are found the stone thrush {Petrocincla 

 saxaiilis), the stonechat {Saxicola Isabelliiid), the 

 hoopoe {Upiipa epops), the grey and rock partridge 

 [Perdix darbata, P. cJmkor), the latter also inhabiting 

 the alpine zone, and attracting attention by its noisy 

 and almost incessant clucking. 



The strikinof contrast between the Munni-ula and 

 the other ranges of South-eastern Mongolia has 

 o;iven rise to a Mono^ol tradition concerninQf their 

 origin, according to which in times long past, a thou- 

 sand years ago or more, there lived a Kutukhtu at 

 Peking, who in spite of his divine origin led such an 

 ungodly life that he was arrested and put into prison 

 by order of the Emperor. Indignant at such harsh 

 treatment, the holy man caused an enormous bird to 



' This is the Siberian tit. : the Latin name for the greater tit- 

 mouse is Par us major, — M. 



