THE AVIFAUNA OF KASHGAR IN WINTER. 215 



The Palm Swift, (C. batassiensis.) 



Palm trees are scarce in Berar, but wherever a solitary one 

 rears its head there may be found the Palm Swift flying round 

 and round it. I once, and once only, saw several of these birds 

 flying about a grove of mango trees where there was not a 

 palm tree within miles. As is well known, it attaches its nest 

 to the leaf of the cocoanut or toddy palm, but I have never 

 succeeded in procuring either the nest or eggs. 



®Ijc Jprtaw of 3tas|pr in Winter.* 



By the late Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka, Ph. D. 



When I saw the last stragglers of Indian birds retracing 

 their steps across the Karakorum towards the end of October 

 last, I was more than ever anxious to learn what birds remain 

 in Eastern Turkistau during the winter months. The cold 

 during that time was represented by some people as being ex- 

 cessive, by others as moderately mild, with the exception of a 

 few really cold days. 



We arrived at Yarkand on the 8th of November, and, 

 leaving it again on the 28th of the same month, reached Yan- 

 gishur, Kashgar, on the 8th of December. Before giving a list 

 of the birds which we observed, I shall say a few words re- 

 garding the climate and physical aspect of the country round 

 Kashgar, in order that it may more easily be understood how 

 it is that certain birds, which we should hardly expect to meet 

 here, can find sufficient comfort for their stay in winter. I 

 shall then proceed with my enumeration according to the dif- 

 ferent local conditions. 



The climate of the countries around is hardly so severe as 

 might have been expected. There were clear sunny days 

 almost the whole winter, with slight breezes, but no heavy or 

 cold winds. The minimum ranged in Januaiy and February 

 between 15° above and 5° below zero, F., but the days were 

 tolerably warm, though in perfect shade the thermometer rarely 

 rose above the freezing point. It is very often the case that 

 snow begins to fall in February, though rarely more than a 

 foot deep at a time. This year snow began to fall only in the 

 beginning of March, and did not remain on the ground more 



* This unfinished paper was the last ever written by the author ; it was drafted with- 

 out a single work of reference to consult, and wheu he was already suffering much. It 

 is nevertheless with all its imperfections (which he would have eliminated in the revision, 

 which in his latest letter he told me that he was about to make) one of great interest, 

 and I have therefore thought it right to publish it as it stands. I have added notes and 

 corrections, after a careful examination of his specimens, which are so labelled as to 

 leave no doubt in any case as to what species he refers to in this paper. — En., S. F. 



