MIGRATORY BIRDS. 229 



ice were piled up on the shore, and on the frozen 

 expanses that still remained unbroken. 



The water now rapidly cleared, and in a week it 

 was quite open ; the floes having been partly driven 

 by the wind into the bays on the western shore, and 

 partly washed on to land. But night frosts continued 

 with their usual severity, the thermometer register- 

 ing 11° Fahr., and the temperature falling after 

 sunset as rapidly as it rose on bright still mornings. 



The winds, which were almost of daily occurrence, 

 mostly blew from the east' and west, the former 

 always moderate and wafting the chilly air of the 

 lake to its western shore, the latter, although from a 

 warm quarter, raged with great fury,^ bringing clouds 

 of dust. 



In the beginning of April migratory birds were 

 extremely scarce. By the 13th of the month,, though 

 we had seen thirty-nine kinds (inclusive of those 

 noted in Tsaidam),-^ yet no large flocks of geese, 

 ducks, or other birds had passed over, and the 

 shores of the lake and river were inanimate, without 

 any of those sounds which usually accompany the 



1 Between the middle of March and the middle of April there were 

 six severe gales, without, however, blowing with such violence as in 

 Tibet, or even in South-eastern Mongolia. 



"^ Twenty-six migratory birds appeared in Koko-nor by that date, 

 viz. between March 13th and 22nd : Accentorriibeciiloides^Cinclus Cash- 

 mirietisis, Cygnus olor, Fuligula clangiila, Larus ichthycstos, L. ridi- 

 bundus^Anser Indiciis, Fuligula cristata, and Milvus govinda. Between 

 March 22nd and April ist: Phalacrocorax carbo, Anas iadorna, A. 

 dypeata^ Numenius sp., Fuligula ferina, Avocelta recurvirostra, and 

 Grus cinerea. Between April ist and 13th: Anas Penelope, Limosa 

 ntelatiuroides'? Totanus calidrisl EudromiassT^.^Halicstos Macei, Cit- 

 cus rufus,Motacilla sp., Scolopax gallinago, Coturnix muta, and Grus. 



