NIDIFICATION OF CERTAIN BIRDS IN LADAK. 145. 



Half way up the Bhot-Khol Pass, at a spot called Donore, on Tlth July 

 1919, I came across four nests of this bird. The first contained fully 

 fledged birds able to fly, the second feathered young still in the nest, the 

 third three fresh eggs whilst the fourth had only just been built and con- 

 tained nothing. 



Blandford states that " the two sexes of this bird are pretty certain to 

 be alike in plumage." This is not the case in the breeding season at any 

 rate. The 5 dift'ers remarkably from the J , in that the whole undersur- 

 faoe and the head are only tinged with yellow, whereas in the (S these 

 parts are deep yellow. Eggs measure 21-50 — 20'50x 16-25 — 15 mm. 



{Note. — Since writing the above my attention has been drawn to the 

 fact that Whitehead in the Ibis of 1909 has written to a similar efl'ect with 

 regard to the colouration of the sexes, and I have been persuaded to let 

 the above stand for the pvirpose of independent corroboration.) 



The Long-billed Horned Lark, Otocorys lonrjiro-'itns. 



Nest taken in the Rnngdum Valley on 5th July 1919 at an altitude of 

 about 12,000 feet. Two eggs in the clutch, inuch incubated. Nest on the 

 ground underneath a stone, very small, cup-shaped, lined with hair and 

 dry grass. Eggs, a dirty white mottled with chocolate-brown, measure- 

 25-55x17-25 mm. 



Elwes's Horned Lark, Otocori/s elicesi. 



Nest with 2 eggs found whilst ascending the Thasangi La in Rupshu on 

 3rd June 1919 at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Nest built on the ground 

 underneath a small " gabshun " bush, composed of dried grass lined with 

 the pappus growth of the " gabshun " seed. Eggs, of the same colour as. 

 lonyirostris but are much less attenuated, measuring 22 — 22-5x17 — 17-5 

 mm. 



Large numbers of these birds were seen feeding in the fields of the 

 Indus Valley above Leh early in May at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. 

 When 1 returned a month later they had all disappeared. 



The Sky- Lark, Alauda an-ensis cinerea. 



Common in the Upper Indus Valley above and below Leh wherever there 

 is cultivation. Clutch at Shushot on 10th June 1919 and another at Nimu 

 on 14th .June 1919, both with 8 eggs which measure 24 X 16— 16-25 mm. 



The Blue Rock-Pigeon, Colwnba Uvia livia. 



This and the next species seem equally abundant both in Central 

 Ladak and Rupshu, breeding for the most part in inaccessible precipices. 



The Blue Hill-Pigeon, Columha rupestris. 



Found an empty nest at Thujgi on 2nd June 1919 in clift's overlooking the^ 

 Champa encampment. A frail structure composed of a few twigs placed 

 in a hole of the clift'. Common everywhere above and below Leh and 

 greatly preferable to Uvia for the table. 



The White-bellied Pigeon, Columha leuconota leuconota. 



Fairly common in the Wakka Nallah and around Suru but I do not re- 

 member having seen it in the Indus Valley above Leh or in Rupshu. 



The Thibetan Sand-Grouse, Sprr/iaptes tihetanus. 



I only saw two pairs of this bird during the month I spent in Rupshu. 



The Chuckor, Alecteris graeca pallida. 

 Common and breeds everywhere. 



The Thibetan Partridge, Perdix hodgsonice. 



Common between the Polokonka Pass and the Tso-Morari Lake, especial- 

 ly in the Puga Valley near the sulphur and borax deposits. It frequents, 

 trama' bushes in the valley beds and is very loth to take wing. Not 

 19 



