MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 191 



and hard to secure, a second cartridge being often necessary. Hence I 

 found the obtaining of good specimens somewhat of a difliculty. 



Stoliczka's Bush-Chat. Pmtincola ynacrorhjpicha, Stoliczka. 



Found to be not uncommon during the winter, being met with on various 

 dates between 19th November and 10th March. lb is somewhat local and 

 was observed only at Ranian, Salmwah^, and Rori, all places in the Sirsa 

 sub-division. It has the ordinary habits of a Fratincola, but frequents 

 pieces of waste sandy ground, studded with low scrubby patches of thorn. 

 It may be distinguished from the other Chats found in the same area by its 

 very light colour, which gives it a whitish appearance. 



The Black-crowned Finch lark. Pyrrhulauda melanauchen (Cab.). 



Several were noted during the last week of January haunting a patch 

 of waste sandy ground by cultivation at Chantala in the Sirsa sub-division. 

 They were apparently thinking of breeding as the cocks were indulging in 

 what was doubtless a courting display — mounting up into the air, and there 

 rising and falling on the wing, uttering meanwhile a somewhat monotonous 

 note. The species have not before been recorded in the Punjab anywhere 

 between Muttra and -Ihelum district. 



The Black-throated Thrush. Meriila atrifjiilaris (Temm.). 



One was seen in my compound at Sirsa on 26th November ; I shot a male 

 in the same place on 8th February, at the same time hearing another 

 individual's call. These birds probably were in the neighbourhood all the 

 winter as on several occasions 1 thought I heard the call of the species. 



Hodgson's Pipit. Anthus rosaceus, Hodgs. 



On the 13th January at Sirsa J found a number of these handsome pipits 

 feeding on the ground amongst the long, weedy grass which clothes the old 

 ballast pits at the side of the railway embankment ; most of the pits 

 either contained a little water or had only recently dried up, so that the 

 lioor of the pits was mostly mud ; on this mud, generally near the water, the 

 pipits were feeding. They were not shy, rising singly only a few yards in 

 front of me to fly in a hovering manner a short way into the air before 

 settling again or else flying low over the grass and on to the ground again 

 a short way ahead. Once or twice an odd bird was seen to settle on a tree, 

 and one that I fired at and wounded perched on some of the reedy grass 

 after the manner of a Blue-throat. I did not find any in these pits either 

 before or after that date. 



The White-capped Bunting. Emheriza steioarti, Blyth. 



A male was obtained at Sirsa on 10th November. 



The Eastern Meadow Bunting Emheriza stracheyi, Moore. 



A fairly common winter visitor, usually found in small parties in bush- 

 jungle, noted on various dates, both at Hissar and in the Sirsa sub-division, 

 from 19th November until 18th March. 



The Large Pintail Sandgrouse. Pteroclwus alchata (Linn.) 



A single male was found amongst a bag of Imperial Sandgrouse {Pterocles 

 arenarius) shot by a party at Hansi on January 21st. This was the only one 

 of its kind obtained in the district during the season as far as I could 

 find out. 



HUGH WHISTLER, m.e.o.u., 

 GujKANWALA, Ptinjab, Indian Police. 



imh April 1915. 



No. VII.— SEVEN KOEL'S EGGS IN ONE NEST. 



On 16th May 1915 an orderly produced two eggs which he said he had 

 taken out of a crow's nest from a clutch of seven. They were of two 



