136 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
947.—Tichodroma muraria, Lin, 
8. Tadlik, 18th September.—Length, 6°4; expanse, 
11:9; wing, 41; tail, 2-4; tarsus, 0°9; bill, from gape, 
1:2; closed wings fall short of tail, 0°35; weight, 0°7 oz. 
Bill, black ; irides, blackish brown; legs, feet, and claws, black. 
* This species was not noticed in the plains, and was first met 
with in the hills in September. At Tadlik, below the Kirghiz 
encampment at Kichik Yailak, I saw two of these birds, one 
of which I shot. They flew from the bank of the stream to 
the hill side, up which they ran pretty nimbly. 
254.—Upupa epops, Lin. 
9. Yarkand, April_—Length, 12°25 ; expanse, 18 ; wing, 6:2 ; 
tail, 4°4; tarsus, 0°8; bill, from gape, 2°5; closed wings fal 
short of tail, 2°1; weight, 2°4 oz. Bill, dusky ; legs and feet, 
fleshy ; claws, dusky. Longest feather in crest, 2-7. 
2. Yarkand, April.—Length, 11°75 ; expanse, 18; wing, 5:8 ; 
tail, 4; tarsus, 0°9; bill, from gape, 2°3; closed wings fall short 
of tail, 1:0; longest crest feather, 2°3; weight, 2°25 0z. Bill, 
dusky, black at tip ; legs and feet, dusky ; claws, black. 
The Hoopoe is a very common bird in Kashgharia, where it 
is a permanent resident. It was met with in all sorts of places: 
in the fields about Kashghar and Yarkand; near villages; at 
the little oases in the desert, between Karghalik and Sanju; in 
the valley of the Karakash ; and it seemed perfectly happy in 
the barren region near the Karakoram pass at an elevation 
of over 18,000 feet. The Yarkandis call it Hipip (a good imi- 
tation of the sound it makes), and say that it hybernates (!) 
for forty days in the depth of winter. This species breeds from 
the middle of April, until about the end of June; I sawa 
young bird not able to fly more than a few yards, on the 10th 
July. 
On the 10th June the nest of a Hoopoe was found in a hole 
in the old wall about four feet above the ground; it contained 
four eggs which were lying ona bed of grass, feathers, and 
some small pieces of felt. On the 15th June, I found another 
nest in a deep hollow of a willow tree ; the eggs could not be 
reached by the hand. Two eggs which I took at Yarkand 
are of a pale greyish blue color, without any spots; they are 
rather elongated ovals, smaller at one end, and have a slight 
gloss. The eggs measure respectively 1:1 in length by 0°72 in 
breadth, and 1:0 by 0°73. 
256 A.—Lanius Homeyeri, Cadanis. 
8. Kashghar, \9th December.—Length, 9:9; wing, 4:7 ; tail 
5-1; tarsus, 1‘1; bill, from gape, 1°12. Bill: upper mandible 
