BIRDS. ALPINE HARES. 145 



new kinds of birds and mammalia, peculiar to the 

 deserts of Tibet. 



The most remarkable of the birds was a species 

 of lark {Melanocorypha maxima) larger than a star- 

 ling ; inhabiting the tufted marshy grass, an exquisite 

 songster. Two kinds of Montifringilla {M. ritficollis 

 and another) and a Podoces humilis were occupying 

 the burrows of the alpine hare. The Mongol sand- 

 grouse {Syrrkaptes paradoxus) is a rarer bird in these 

 steppes than its allied Tibetan species {Syrrkaptes 

 Tibetanus), which is larger and has a different note. 

 The waders ( Grallatorcs) had left before our arrival, 

 and of the web-footed tribe only a few geese {Auser 

 cinereus\ ducks {Anas dose has, A. rutila, A. ereeca, 

 Ftiligula eristata), cormorants {Phalaerocorax car bo), 

 and gulls {Larus lektkycsttis, L. ^ndibtmdtis) re- 

 mained. We thought that the autumnal migration 

 must have passed, but our observations in the follow- 

 ing spring proved that Lake Koko-nor did not 

 abound in waterfowl or wading birds. Among birds 

 of prey, vultures and lammergeiers daily visit its 

 shores in search of food, and numerous buzzards, 

 hawks, and eagles appear to winter here for the sake 

 of feeding on the alpine hares that are found so 

 abundantly. 



The last-named animal, differing very slightly in 

 appearance, size, and voice from its Mongol con- 

 gener, inhabits in extraordinary numbers the pasture 

 land at the foot of the mountains ; honeycombing 

 the ground for miles, so that it is dangerous to ride 

 VOL. 11, L 



