300 MONTIFKINGILLA 



Hob. Northern Tibet, the sources of the Tetung river ; Koko- 

 nor ; the borders of Tsaidam, and the Njan-schan mountains. 



In its habits it reminds one of the Chats, runs very swiftly, 

 perches on stone-heaps or rocks, and bobs, continually vibrating- 

 its wings. It passes the night in the holes of a species of 

 Lagcmys, and also digs a hole for itself. It probably builds its 

 nest in these holes, but its nest and eggs are unknown. It 

 collects in small parties but never in large flocks. 



439. RED-NECKED SNOW-FINCH. 

 MONTIFRINGILLA RUFICOLLIS. 



Montifringilla ruficollis, Blanforcl, J.A'.S.B. xli. pt. ii. p. 66 (1871) ; 

 Gould, B. of As. v. pi. 5 ; Prjev. Mongol i Strana Tangut, &c., 

 tab. xi. fig. 2 ; (David and Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 548 ; Sl.arpe, Cat, B, 

 Br. Mus. xii. p. 263 ; Gates, F. Brit, Ind. Birds, ii. p. 245. 



ad. (Sikhim). Forehead whitish, becoming grey on the fore-crown y 

 the rest of the crown and upper parts generally, warm sandy buff, the back 

 striped with dark brown ; sides of the hind-crown and of the neck rufous ; 

 quills blackish brown, all but the three outermost white at the base of the 

 inner web, all margined and tipped with buffy white ; inner secondaries 

 and larger wing-coverts much broader margined ; median and lesser wing- 

 coverts chiefly white ; middle tail-feathers blackish brown, margined with 

 warm buff, the rest white or greyish white, broadly tipped with blackish 

 brown, margined with fulvous buff ; lores, a stripe through the eye, and a 

 stripe on each side of the throat from the base of the bill black ; chin, throat, 

 and under parts white ; the sides of the breast and flanks rufous ; the vent 

 and under tail-coverts washed with rufous buff; bill and legs blackish ; 

 iris brown. Culmen 0*45, wing 3'6, tail 2'12, tarsus 0'83 inch. Sexes 

 alike. 



Hob. Sikhim and Tibet, Koko-nor as far north as the Koko- 

 nor basin and the Tetung river ; Kan-su. 



It inhabits hilly steppes and valleys usually at altitudes of 

 from 15,000 to 16,000 feet. Its flight is wavy and on the 

 ground it runs swiftly, and when sitting on a rock or stone it 

 often makes a peculiar shivering with its wings like a Chat. 

 Its note is said to resemble that of a Tree-sparrow. It inhabits 

 the empty holes of Lagcmys ogotcno, which are numerous on the 

 steppes of the Koko-nor, and nests in them, but so far as I can 

 ascertain the nest and eggs are unknown. In the winter they 

 collect in flocks of several hundred individuals. 



