MISCELLANEO US NO TE8. 1329 



When there are eggs in the nest the hen bird sits very close, and on two 

 occasions L hive caught her on the nest. So far as my experiences go, I 

 do not think that the cock takes any part in the hatcliing of the eggs. 



P. T. L. DODSWORTH, r.z.s., M.B.o.tr. 

 Simla, S. W., 29M August 1912. 



No. XII.— THE HIMALAYAN GREENFINCH 

 {HFPACANTRIS SPINOIDEH). 



In Mr. P. T. L. Dodsvvorth's interesting note on HygacantMs spinoides 

 (The Himalayan Greenfinch) ia Vol. XXI, No. 3, p. 1076 of this Journal, he 

 gives the distribution of this species as follows : — " Along the Himalayas at 

 elevations 6,000 — 10,000 and perhaps even higher from the south side of the 

 Pir Panjal Pass in Kashmir (Brooks) to Sikkim (Blanford) also recorded 

 from Manipur (Godwin Austen). During the cold weather these birds move 

 to tower elevation, and the N.-W. Himalayan ones at all events are found 

 in the Duns and plains (Bijmor to Pilibhit) at the foot of the mountains 

 (Osmaston ). In quoting this as the distribution Mr. Dodsworth has 

 apparently overlooked various publications in this Journal from the pens of 

 Colonel Rattray, Captain C. H T. Whitehead and others which add 

 coasiderably to our knowledge in this respect and shew that the range of 

 The Himalayan Greenfinch extends very much further to the North- West. 

 For extmple it is common in the Murree Hdls and Hazara. It occurs in 

 the N.-W, F. P. (Samma), and not improbably breeds in the Kurram 

 Valley. I may add also that in parts of the Peshawar Valley it is a 

 common winter migrant, being freely snared there for the Peshawar bazaars, 

 where it is a favourite cage bird with the Pathans. With regard to 

 Kashmir its range extends well north of the Pir Panjal and the Vale of 

 Kashmir itself, in the Liddar and Sind Valleys, it breeds commonly from 

 7,000 to 9,000 ft. 



H. A. F. MAGRATH, Lt.-Coi,. 

 Kashmir, August 1912. 



No. XIII.— EARLY ARRIVAL OF GREY WAGTAIL. 



I am sending you a specimen of what I think is the Grey WagtaiJ {Mota- 

 cilla melanope ) shot near here on the 22nd August, by a stream in the 

 midst of dense jungle. Chikalda is 125 miles south of Sehore as the crow 

 flies ; but Capt. Whitehead, in his article which appeared on page 153 of 

 Vol. XXI of the Journal, notes its earliest appearance at that place as the 

 20th September. Considering how late the rains broke here, not until 

 the 10th July, and that it breeds in Kashmir above 6,000 ft. and in 

 Afghanistan in May and June ( dates on p. 294 of Vol. II, F. B. I. ) This 

 must be distinctly an early bird. 



