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SOME BIRDS OBSERVED AT DALHOUSIE HILL 

 STATION IN 1915. 



By H. Whistler, M.B.O.U. 



During the Summer of 1915 I was stationed in the Gujranwala 

 District of the Punjab, and managed to get away from there twice 

 for a fortnight on each occasion, to the hill station of Dalhousie, 

 situated in Chamba State, which is reached by a tonga-journey of 

 some 50 odd miles from Pathankot station. 



As my spare time on both of these trips was largely spent in 

 collecting birds, it may be of interest to set on record a few notes 

 regarding the birds seen or obtained in Dalhousie and along the 

 tonga-road. As far as I know there is no article or list in any 

 Ornithological publication dealing separately with the birds of this 

 hill station, so these notes may be of use to any futiire observer 

 who desires to supply the omission. 



Eor the first trip I went up on 28th May and came down on the 

 13th June; on the second occasion I went up on 28th August and 

 returned on the 1 2th September. For the sake of convenience these 

 two periods are spoken of hereafter as June and September res- 

 pectively. 



Apart from the journeys along the tonga-road, practically all 

 observations were made on Bakrota Hill at an elevation of about 

 7,300 feet. 



The mixed hunting parties of small insectivorous birds, which 

 have been so often commented on by Naturalists in the Himalayas, 

 were one of the chief features of Dalhousie bird life; but they 

 were, I think, more commonly observed on the second trip. 



The nomenclature is taken from the four volumes of "Birds" 

 by Blanford and Oates in the " Fauna of British India " series ; 

 the numbers prefixed to the names of each species are the serial 

 numbers of that work. 



4. The Jungle Crow — Corvus macrorhynclms, Wagl. 



Equally common in Dalhousie both in June and September, and often to 

 be seen in parties circling high above the summits of the hills. In June 

 the species was noted all along the tonga-road down to Pathankote. 



13. The Yellow-billed Blue Magpie — TJrocn&a Jiaxiro&tris, Blyth. 



Fairly common on Bakrota, both in June and September. 



16. The Indian Tree-pie — Dendrocitta rufa, Scop. 



Not noted in Dalhousie, but seen on the tonga-road below Dunera in 

 September. 



24, The Black-throated Jay — Garrulus lanceolatus, Vig. 



Very common on Bakrota both in June and September, being often met 

 with in family parties ; not a shy bird. 



26. The Himalayan Jay — Garrulus bisptcularis, Vig. 



Met with on Bakrota in small numbers, but certainly less numerous than 

 the last species. 



27. The Himalayan Nutcracker — Nucifraga hemispila, Vig. 



