DRYNESS OF THE AIR. BIRDS. 29 



summer weather suddenly set in, in the valley of the 

 Hoang-ho. • 



The early spring this year differed from the last 

 in the greater frequency of snow-storms and com- 

 paratively rare occurrence of NW. winds, although 

 it blew hard for several days in succession. The 

 dryness of the air was as remarkable as ever, a fact 

 we were reminded of not only by the psychrometer, 

 but also by the extraordinary dryness of our lips and 

 hands, the skin of which cracked and had a polished 

 appearance. 



The flight of birds even in March was very 

 small ; during the whole of that month we only 

 remarked 26 kinds,^ in small numbers, sometimes 

 only one or two of a species. Geese and cranes 

 appeared in large flocks, but they flew high, hardly 

 ever alighting to rest. Even in the wooded moun- 

 tains of Munni-ula, where we passed the latter end 

 of April, birds of passage, including small birds, 

 were very scarce. In all probability, these winged 

 wanderers, in their flight to the North, keep as long 

 as they can within the limits of China Proper, shel- 

 terinor themselves behind the orreat border ranees of 

 the plateau, only ascending the latter when driven 

 to their last extremity and compelled to turn their 



' They appeared in the following order : — Anser segetum. Anas 

 rutila,Cygnusmusicus, Milvus govindus, Larus occidentalis (?), Vanellus 

 cristatus, Saxicola leucomela, Saxicola Isabellina, Motacilla paradoxa, 

 Ruticilla erythrogastra, Upupa Epops, Ardea cinerea, Anthus pra- 

 tensis, Anser grandis, Larus ridibundus, Anas tadorna, Anas crecca, 

 Anas acuta, Recurvirostra Avocetta, Aegialites cantianus, Grus 

 Virgo, Cygnus olor, Anser cinereus, Lanius major, Grus cinerea, 

 Totanus calidris. 



