DEARTH OF BIRDS. 31 



belts on the southern slopes of the mountains. The 

 wild peach-trees and bushes were in full blossom, 

 relieving the sombre tints of the hill-sides, which 

 were not yet green. The ravines, particularly where 

 the sun's rays found entrance, were covered with 

 young grass and here and there little flowers such 

 as the anemone {A. Pulsatilla and A. barbiclata), 

 milk vetch [Astragalus sp.) and Gagea sp. peeped 

 forth. The poplar, aspen-tree, and willow were in 

 leaf, and the buds of the white and black birch 

 bursting. On the higher alpine meadows vegeta- 

 tion had not yet felt the warmth of spring, but the 

 snow had thawed even on the highest summits of 

 the mountains. 



Judging from the situation of the Munni-ula, in 

 the midst of bare steppes half way between north 

 and south, one would have expected that numbers 

 of small birds would have been attracted hither ; 

 but this is not the case. During the eleven days 

 we spent here we found only four more kinds of 

 birds ^ than we had observed in July of the previous 

 year ; and even these were solitary specimens which 

 had apparently found their way hither by stealth or 

 by accident. 



Disappointed in our anticipated ornithological 

 harvest, we left the Munni-ula on May 4th, and 

 started for Ala-shan, ascending the left bank of the 

 Hoang-ho, i.e. by the same route as we had taken 

 in winter when returning to Kalgan. The only 



^ Turdus ruficollis, Emberiza pithyornus, E. pusilla, Scolopax rus- 

 tirola. 



