BIRDS IN BRITISH GARHWAL, 141 
which was placed 8’ from the ground in a shrub of Rhododendron arboreum. 
The nest was a deep saucer of matted rootlets with a few twigs on the outside. 
Though the range of this magpie slightly overlaps that of its equally common 
relative U. occipitalis I have never seen the two associate together. 
Nucifraga hemispila (27).—The Himalayan Nutcracker. 
This bird is found all over the central and interior hill ranges wherever forest 
of coniferous species occurs, though I have not noted its occurrence south of the 
Dudatoli and Dhanpur ranges. This however is what one would naturally expect 
since the only conifer found here is the chir (Pinus longifolia) and though the 
nutcracker frequently descends to 6,000’ elevation to feed on the chir seedit would 
not appear to be a permanent resident at this level except in some of the cooler 
valleysof theinterior ranges. The bird is usually found between 6,000’ and 10,000’, 
and in many of the coniferous forests, especially those composed of spruce and 
blue pine, it is very common at these elevations. It frequently utters a raucous 
* Kurr ”’, which is the only note I have ever heard. There is apparently a 
mistake in Blanford’s Fauna where the nasal bristles are descibed as chocolate 
brown. The nasal bristles of this bird are in reality black-and-white and are 
quite similar to those of NV. multipunctata. The latter is found according to 
Blanford as far east as Kumaon and should therefore occur in Garhwal, but 
though I have taken some pains to discover its identity in Garhwal I did not 
succeed in doing so. 
Graculus eremita (29).—The Red-billed Chough. 
This bird, like the yellow-billed chough, does not extend its range south of 
the slopes immediately surrounding the main line of snows. Like its cousin it is 
a bird of the open steep pasture-lands and rocky slopes which lie above and be- 
yond the limits of tree forest, though it also frequents similar open ground at ele- 
vations down. to 6,000’. The two species are about equally common. The na- 
tives call the bird ““Kangni” and though it is not by any means shy it is not often 
seen round habitations or cultivation. It breeds in clefts in vertical or over- 
hanging cliffs from 6,500’ up to 14,000’ elevation. The lowest place at which I 
found it breeding was in a vertical cliff overhanging the Dhauli River a few miles 
below Surai Tota, but all the nests I located were so inaccessible that I was unable 
to reach them. On Ist June some nests had young, so they probably commence 
laying towards the end of April or early in May. I never found more than one 
pair breeding in the same locality. A carcase of a burhal which, as I have men- 
tioned elsewhere, was largely patronised by the yellow-billed species, did not to 
my knowledge attract any of the red-billed species though they were not uncom- 
mon in the immediate neighbourhood. The old birds have a call closely resembl- 
ing that of the common jackdaw. By the end of July the young birds have left 
the nest and at this time they congregate in large flocks, mainly I think at high 
levels. At about 13,000’ elevation in August, I counted as many as 100 birds in 
a single flock. I have never observed this species circling about in the air in 
pursuit of insects in the manner so characteristic of the yellow-billed species. 
Pyrrhocorax alpinus (30).—The Yellow-billed Chough. 
In Garhwal this bird does not seem to wander south from the slopes which 
directly diverge from the main axis of snowy peaks. Open rocky or grassy slopes 
are its favourite haunts and it is never seen in forest. It also seems to shun cul- 
tivation and this no doubt accounts for its absence from the high central ranges 
which are either densely wooded or under cultivation, Their food seems to be 
of a varied nature. I have seen a flock of them in July feeding on the rips fruit 
of Berberis lycium and on another occasion I took from their gizzards the stones 
of some wild fruit. I have also watched numbers of them come and feed on the 
carcase of a barhal which had been killed by a snow leopard. They may 
often be seen hawking about in the air for insects in parties of 20 or 30 and whe 
