166 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
making a mess. On the 25th July I saw a Sparrow of this 
species collecting willow leaves for its nest: it seized the leaf 
‘by the stalk, close to the branch, and by a sudden bend nipped 
it off very cleverly. 
The only egg I now have by me is in shape a moderate oval, 
very little pointed at one end. It is beautifully glossy and 
measure 0°81 in length by 0°57 in breadth. The ground color 
is grey, streaked and blotched with greyish brown; the 
blotches dense and dark in acap at the broad end. The 
Turki name for the Tree Sparrow is Ak huchkach, 1.e., ‘the 
white bird ;? in Khokand, and by the Andijanis, it is called 
Chumchuk, but a Yarkandi would not understand what was 
meant by the latter name. 
720 bis.—Emberiza scheenicola, Lin. 
This species was common near Yarkand in winter, and four 
specimens were preserved in Jannuary. and February. It 
frequented hedges and small trees and was said by the 
Yarkandis to be a permanent resident, but I never observed it 
in summer. The Turki name for this bird is Cha kuchkach. 
3. Yarkand, February.— Wing, 3:3; tarsus, 0°82 ; bill, from 
gape, 0°43. Bill: upper mandible, brownish black; lower, 
horny. Legs, brown ; feet, dusky brown ; claws, black. 
Three females ; Yarkand, January.—Length 5-9 to 6:1; wing, 
3°3 to 3:4; tail, 2°8 to 3:0; tarsus, 0°8 to 0°83; bill, from gape, 
0-4 to 0-44. Bill: upper mandible, brownish horny ; lower 
mandible, lighter horn color ; legs, brownish fleshy or brown; 
feet, dusky brownish ; claws, black. 
720 bis. A. —Emberiza pyrrhuloides, Pail. 
Two males, shot at Yarkand in April, measured and weighed. 
-——Length, 6°5; expanse, 9°8; wing, 3°05 to 3°3; tail, 2°85 to 
3:0; tarsus, 0°8; bill, from gape, 0°43 to 0°65; closed wings 
fall short of tail, 1-8; weight, 0-7 oz. Bill, dusky horny ; legs, 
brownish ; toes, dusky ; claws, black. 
9. Beshkant, 6th February.—Length, 6-7; wing, 3:2; tail, 
2°83; tarsus, 0°8 ; bill, from gape, 0°5. Bill, dusky; legs, brown- 
ish ; feet, dusky brown; claws, brownish black. 
9. Yarkand, 13th April.—Length, 6°75; expanse, 9°5 ; 
wing, 3°15; tail, 2°75; ‘tarsus, 0°75; bill, from gape, 0°5 ; closed 
wings fall short of tail, 1°6 ; weight, 0°65 oz. Bill, dusky ; legs, 
brownish; claws, black. ‘ 
The first specimen of this species was shot at Beshkant, in the 
beginning of February, in waste ground overgrown with small 
bushes ; three other specimens were obtained near Yarkand in 
April. This bird frequents the edges of marshy ground and rice 
