Birds of Southern Tibet. 245 



a. ? adult. Khamba Jong, 15,200 feet, Sept. 15, 1903. 



No. 1959. S adult. Gyantse, 12,000 feet, May 3, 1904. 



All through the winter there were a few Kestrels at 

 Khamba Jong and Tuna, but most of those that occur in 

 Tibet are probably summer migrants. At that season of the 

 year they abound everywhere. The Tibetans call the bird 

 " Tra," but I fancy that this is a term used indiscriminately 

 for many of the Falconidse. 



"f 92. CoLUMBA RUPESTRIS. 



Columba rupestris Pall. ; Blanf., Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, 

 iv. p. 30; Sharpe, Sci. Result. Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 116; 

 Berez. & Bianchi, Aves Exped. Potan. Gan-su, p. 26. 



a. S adult. Khamba Jong, 15,200 feet, Sept. 1903. 



b. <? adult. „ „ Sept. 3, 1903. 

 No. 1730. ? adult. Khamba Jong, 15,200 feet, Oct. 7, 



1903. 



No. 1758. ? adult. Khamba Jong, 15,200 feet, Nov. 4, 

 1903. 



No. 1878. ? adult. Tuna, 15,000 feet, Feb. 13, 1904. 



Very common everywhere, both on the wind-swept wastes 

 of Tuna and in the fertile valleys of Gyantse and Lhasa. 

 Although, so far as I know, these Pigeons are not considered 

 in any way sacred, they are fed to some extent by the 

 occupants of the monasteries. Indeed, in most places, they 

 are almost as tame as domesticated birds. They breed about 

 rocky precipices, the numerous small caves in which are 

 plentifully white-washed with the birds' excrement. Large 

 flocks collect in the barley-fields after the crops have been 

 harvested. 



This was the only Pigeon seen in Tibet proper, though 

 C. leuconota was common in the Chumbi Valley, at lower 

 elevations than those inhabited by C. rupestris. 



93. Columba leuconota. 



Columba leuconota Vig. ; Blanf., Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, iv. 

 p. 32; Sharpe, Sci. Result. Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 116. 



Snow-Pigeons were in large flocks in the Chumbi Valley 



