278 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. X XVI. 
Hopeson’s YELLOw-HEapED Wacratts (Motacilla citreoloides), A few of these 
were breeding around lake Gangabal Haramauk, and in the vicinity. 
Hopeson’s Prerr (Anthus rosaceus) was also breeding in considerable numbers 
about lake Gangabal, but among parties of this species was, what appeared to 
me to be, a different pipit, very like the Tree-Pipit Anthus trivialis which 
occurred in the locality. This doubtful pipit was, I feel nearly certain, THE 
Mxavow Prrir (A. pratensis) but I failed to collect an example to make sure. 
Hopeson’s PrrrtT sings mostly on the wing. The bird first soars to a consider- 
able height; and then descends with outstretched wings in a sort of ‘ vol plane ’ 
while simultaneously it commences the song with a syllable like ‘ chup,’ rapidly 
repeated several times, followed by a more slowly repeated ‘sweet’ as it approaches 
the ground. 
Stumbling on a nest of this species at Kolahoi one day I nearly trod on the 
sitting female which rolled down the hillside in a wonderful manner with legs, 
wings and neck apparently broken to smithereens. 
The Common Lark (Alauda arvensis) is somewhat crepuscular in habits in 
Kashmir. One delightful bird perched, with its mate, on a stone, about 30 yards 
from my dinner table, one evening and serenaded me till it was almost quite 
dark. 
THE SMALL Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus). I solved the (tome) enigma 
of the notes, which so puzzled me at Sonamarg in 1912, vide p. 1313, 
vol. XXI, 4, and which puzzled me again this year (1914) till at last 
I caught a glimpse of a flying bird, and eventually secured an example 
after much patient shikar and watching. The author of the sounds was none 
other than THE SmaLt Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus). This cuckoo is fairly ubi- 
quitous in Kashmir, occurring at all elevations, and, in the same month, from 
the valley itself 5,100 to 11,000 feet and over,though it is,perhaps, not so common 
as C. canorus. In some favoured spots these little cuckoos collect, and here they 
make both day, and a good part of the night, ‘ hideous ’ with their very extra- 
ordinary notes, although perhaps not more than half a dozen individuals may 
be present. The number of birds in a locality must always be hard to compute 
from the notes. At Liddarwat, 9,500 feet, I was encamped in a clearing in silver 
fir forest, and for one whole day one solitary individual of this species kept up 
an almost incessant cackle, not being silent for more than half an hour from 8 A.M. 
till dusk. It constantly changed its perch from tree to tree in the forest around 
my camp, and sometimes called on the wing, and to anyone not versed in the 
ways of this freak among birds it would certainly have appeared that there were 
at least a dozen or more birds calling. This particular bird so exhausted its 
syringeal muscles by its performance this day that it remained silent throughout 
the night, but recommenced at 7-30 A.M. next morning, and called till about 9 
A.M. ; then finding, I suppose, that there were no responsive females in the neigh- 
bourhood it shifted to another part of the valley. But it returned in the even- 
ing, and called at intervals during the night. It remained in the vicinity calling 
daily, and, intermittently, at night till I left on the 23rd July. It was the only 
bird of this species, to my knowledge that I heard or saw in this particular spot 
during my stay of 12 days. 
The following words may serve to convey to the ear the cadence and to some 
extent, the sound of the notes, viz., ‘‘ That’s your choky pepper.” When the 
bird is vigorous at the beginning of the-season a syllable is often added to this, 
and conversely,when the vigour is waning at the end of the season, a syllable may 
be omitted. The ‘ timbre ’ of the note allowing for the much greater loudness 
is not unlike that of the WHITE-CHEEKED BUuLBUL (Molpastes leucogenys). Onan 
open hillside it can be heard a quarter of a mile away or more. The note of the 
female is not unlike that of the female canorus, but is more slowly repeated, and 
perhaps more nearly resembles that of the female C. saturatus, but is less loud. 
The immense energy put into the call-notes by the male, and the power of the 
