THE BIRDS OF KORAT AND THE KURRAM VALLEY. 787 



88. <S ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 18th January 1906. 



This example was procured by Major Magrath out of a small flock at the 

 foot of the hills. Subsequently I frequently met with the birds, generally 

 feeding on stony ground, but once in young crops. They are probably 

 resident. I came across a pair near Thall on the 19th of May which, I 

 believe, had a nest, but failed to find it. 



[764b.] Rhodospiza obsoleta. The Persian Desert-Bullfinch. 



Watson, J. B. N. H. S. xv. p. 145 (common in gardens in August and 

 September and again in March : Chaman, 4,450 ft., near Quetta). 



74. 3 ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 8th January. 



Oates (Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 233) wrote that this species was 

 likely to be found within Indian limits. Oapt. Watson procured, I believe, 

 the first authenticated examples in India, at Chaman. Subsequently Capt. 

 Marshall and Major Betham found it common round Quetta, and the latter 

 discovered a number of nests (vide Rep. of Baluchistan Nat. Hist. Soc. in 

 J. B. N. H. S. xviii. p. 521). From the 8th of January till the 1st March 

 1906, a flock frequented a Mohamedan cemetery near Kohat which was 

 much over-grown with weeds, on the seeds of which they used to feed. 

 The males had started singing by the 1st of March ; the call-note may be 

 rendered worn. 



[767.] Carduelis caniceps. The Himalayan Goldfinch. 



Marshall, J. B. N. H. S. xiv. p. 604 (Quetta : scarce) ; Fulton, op. cit. 

 xvi. p. 53 (very common in summer up to 13,000 ft.) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. 

 p. 484 (the majority migrate through Kashmir, but a few stay to nest). 



625, 626. 2 2 ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 29th February. 



A winter visitor, occurring in large flocks from November till the middle 

 of April. Its confiding habits are taken advantage of by the local bird- 

 catchers, who snare large numbers, retailing them at 2d. or 3d. each. 



One of the commonest birds on the Samana in winter. Capt. Keen tells 

 me that a few stayed there all through the summer, and he believes nested 

 in the neighbourhood. 



We also observed a few in the Upper Kurram Valley in spring and 

 summer. 



[768.] Callacanthis btjrtoni. The Red-browed Finch. 



Fulton, J. B. N. H. S. xvi. p. 53 (Chitral : summer visitor) ; Ward, op. 

 cit. xvii. p. 484, & xviii. p. 463 (nests in Kashmir). 



Not uncommon on the Safed Koh in summer between 8,000 and 9,000 

 feet. Its loud whistling call-note — cheiv-ee — is very striking. It is usually 

 uttered from high up on a bare branch. 



Colonel Ward describes a nest taken from a fir-tree at 9,000 f out as being 

 very small and made of pine-needles; the eggs measured "88" x '65", and 

 were of a greenish blue marked with dark brown spots at the larger end. 



[771.] Metoponia pusilla. The Gold-fronted Finch. 



