OF KASTERN TURKESTAN. 167 
fields, breeds in Kashgharia and is probably a permanent. resi- 
dent. The Turki name for this Bunting is Karabash huchkach, 
‘the black-headed bird.’ The Yarkandi Shikaris say that the 
nest of this species is always placed in ‘ Yekan, i. e., reed beds. 
722.—Euspiza luteola, Sparr. 
Five males shot at Yarkand in May and June.—Length, 6:5 to 
6°9; expanse, 10°8 to 11; wing, 3°4 to 3°7; tail, 3:0 to3-1; 
tarsus, 0°8 to 0°85 ; bill, from gape, 0°6 to 0°65; closed wings 
fall short of tail, 1°6 to 1:7; weight, 0°8 to0°9 oz. Bill, slaty 
grey, dusky above; irides, dark brown; legs and feet, fleshy, 
yeljow fleshy, and brownish; claws, dusky and brown horny. 
$. Suv. Sanju, 11th August.—-Length, 6:2; expanse, 10:2; 
wing, 3°3; tail, 2°8; tarsus, 0°83; bill, from gape, 0°55; closed 
wings fall short of tail, 1:5; weight,0°75 oz. Bill, grey horny ; 
irides, blackish brown ; legs and feet, fleshy ; claws, brown horny. 
Nestling, Yarkard, 25th June.—Length, 3:6; expanse, 7:3 ; 
wing, 1°9; tail, 05; tarsus, 0°8; bill, from gape, 0°55; closed 
wings fall short of tail, 0°75 ; weight, 0-5 oz. Bill, grey ; edge 
of gape bright yellow ; legs and feet, fleshy ; claws, light horn. 
This species is a seasonal visitant to the plains, arriving about 
the end of April and leaving in September. The birds were 
numerous from the end of May to July near Yarkand, where 
they were often seen, generally in pairs, perching on small trees 
(mulberries and willows) and chirping away merrily. These birds 
were always near cultivation and appeared to prefer the vicinity 
of corn, barley and lucerne fields. This Bunting breeds in May 
and June: a nestling was obtained on the 25th of the latter 
month; on the 2nd July a young bird was caught (just able to 
fly) in which only the lower tail-coverts showed a tinge of yellow; 
and a young male of the year was shot at Sanju on the 11th 
August. 
At least half a dozen nest of this species were seen in May 
and June. The nest is usually placed either in small bushes 
(Kara uk) about a couple of feet above the ground, or touching 
the ground at the edges of corn fields, an1 sheltered over by a 
small shrub (Buyah). The nest is round, from 4°5 to 5:5 in dia- 
meter, the side wall about 1 inch thick, the bottom 1:5. Exter- 
nally it is made up of coarse fibres, leaves and twigs loosely put 
together, but the egg cavity is lined with fine fibres wound round 
and round, the egg commonly lying on a bottom lining of horse 
hair. In the fresh nest the egg cavity is circular, cup shaped, 
about 3 inches in diameter and 15 deep. By the time the eggs 
are nearly ready to hatch off the shape of the nest is often a 
good deal altered; the egg cavity is flattened’out, and instead of 
being cup-shaped becomes saucer-like, and often quite shallow. 
