462 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



high up, or they had become extinct since Henderson saw them 

 here in such great numbers. It is beyond my power to explain 

 how that happened, unless the birds Henderson saw were 

 migrating just at the time he met tbem. 



At the top of the pass Carpodacus erythrinus and Brooks' 

 Phylloscopus Tytleri were common, and a little further on I met 

 with flocks of my Fringillauda sordida. They resemble a great 

 deal the larks in their flight, and feed on the ground in great 

 numbers together like these. The most common bird all 

 through Ladak is Ruticilla rufiventris ; it is met with almost 

 every hundred yard along the march, and is numerously repre- 

 sented at each village. The Sparrow does not feel comfortable 

 above 12,000 feet, and none remain for instance at Leh during 

 the winter. Montifringilla Adamsi was seen first a little east of 

 Shererool, crossing the pass to Kharbu. It was common at about 

 12,000 feet in flocks, resembling in habit Fringillauda. Since 

 we left Cashmir I have not seen a single Corvus intermedins, 

 until we reached Leh, where three or four turned up. The 

 Common Crow here is thibitanus or corax, as it may be; it seems 

 to me smaller than the Northern Nipal and Sikhim bird. The 

 only novelty I shot, going from Lamaguru to the Indus, is a 

 new Pyrhocorax, which I think may well be named after our 

 leader. 



P. Forsythi* — It is a considerably smaller bird than alpinus ; 

 like this last entirely black, only somewhat duller; the bill is 

 slightly more arched and stronger notched ; dark brown towards 

 the tip and paler at the base with a fleshy tinge ; and the feet 

 are blackish brown or almost quite black. The wing is 10'25 ; 

 tail, 6*5 ; tarsus, 1'5 ; bill, at front, 1 inch. 



I have an idea that I saw a specimen of this bird in 1865 

 near Padam, but have not now my notes to refer to. The 

 specimen was solitary when I shot it, sitting on a rock near the 

 road. 



The Indus valley from Kalsi to Leh is very desolate and 

 very few, and these the commonest birds are to be seen. Here 

 at Leh I found Sylviparus modestus and Phylloscopus tristis, the 

 most common birds among the willows ; both were evidently 

 breeding here. Besides these I got Ph. trochilus (?) viridanus, 

 lugubris and affinis. The last appeared only a few days ago 

 in greater numbers, and is never found among the willows, 

 but between stones and on stonewalls. Ph. viridanus and 

 trochilus are rare. Cyanecula suecica was breeding here, and is 

 common. A few days ago there was a heavy fall of snow on the 



■ * P. alpinus, Juv ?— Ed. 



