134 Col. R. Meinertzliagen on the [Ibis, 



where the Bhick Kite and Eoyptian Vulture are })ernia- 

 nently resident. None of the purely Indian Ducks occur, 

 and the familiar Indian birds are absent. The fact is, 

 Baluchistan is not India — it is Persia ; and therefore 

 there can be small wonder that so many birds are to be 

 found breeding- round Quetta which do so nowhere else 

 within Indian limits. 



I am aware that there is still much to be done at Quetta in 

 this line. Further migration observations would be well 

 repaid. A visit to the juniper forests or to some of the 

 laroe reed-beds in the In-eeding-season mioht ])roduce some 

 hithnrto unrecorded specimens and •eggs. A close watch ou 

 migrants will reveal species new as yet to India. Many 

 were the birds I saw but could not obtain or identify, 

 and I found two Warblers' nests and eggs, which certainly 

 did not belong to any of the species enumerated below. 

 Surely if the Bittern and Ejired Grebe, Upcher's Warbler 

 and the Allied Grey Shrike, are found breeding, others of 

 equal interest are there, only awaiting discovery. 



But the ornithologist at Quetta requires plenty of leisure at 

 his disposal. As a student at the Staff College I was unable 

 to devote as much time as I desired to birds, and I failed to 

 secure specimens of some of the resident species. 



My thanks are due to the authorities of the Macmahon 

 Museum at Quetta for the use of their collection and library, 

 and to Dr. Hartert for help in identifying certain geo- 

 graphical races. 



Throughout this paper the day of the month is shown 

 thus : — 12. iv. = April 12th. Bill measurements are those of 

 the culmen, i. e. from the base of the skull. 



Corvus corax. 



C. c. Jaurencel Hume. 

 An abundant resident, nesting in the hills and in rocks and 

 precipices bordering on the Quetta Plain, but mostly in the 

 more inaccessible parts of the higher mountains. In the cold 

 weather the birds congregate in large flocks round Quetta 

 and can be seen roosting in the poplars in the cantonments, 

 whereas in the hot weather they invariably return to the 



