NOTES ON BIRDS OF THE KAGRAN VALLEY. 105 



666, Merula maxima. — The Central Asian Black bird. 

 675. Merula ruficollis. — Red-throated Thrush. 



(One shot by Mr. D. Donald, CLE. .out of a host of M. atrigida- 

 ris in a jhil in February 1911.) 

 Oreocincla lohiteheadi. — sp. n. The Kaghan Mountain Thrush. 

 708. Cinclus kashmirensis. — The White-breasted Dipper. 

 712. Accentor nepalensis. — The E. Alpine Accentor. 

 719. Tharrhaleus jerdoni. — Jerdon's Accentor. 

 74.8. Pycnorhampus carneipes. — The White-winged Grosbeak. 



753. Pyrrhospiza punicea humii. — Red-breasted Rose-Finch. 



754. Propasser thura. — The White-browed Rose-Finch. 

 768. CallacantJiis hurtoni. — Red-browed Finch. 



823. Hirundo erythropygia. — Sykes's Striated Swallow. 



(Common in Lower Kaghan — one shot). 

 850. Anthus rosaceus — Hodgson's Tree Pipit. 

 856. Otocorys longirostris . — Long-billed Horned Lark. 

 1004. Indicator xanthonotus. — Yellow-backed Honey Guide. 



(Observed at Donga Gali.) 

 1072. Cypselus leuconyx. — Blyth's White-rumped Swift. 

 1210. Mirdetus pennatus. — The Booted Eagle. 

 1230. Milvus melanotis. — Large Pariah Kite. 



1296. Columha leuconota. — The " Snow " or White-bellied Pigeon. 

 1380. Lerioa nivicola. — The Snow Partridge. 



II. 



38. yEgithaliscus niveigularis. — White-throated Tit. 



Is not common. I only met it with twice, once above Bhimbal and again 

 a party in Maniir Katta. Habits appeared similar to those of the Long- 

 tailed Tit. Call very like the gold finch's '' wi. " 2 preserved and sent to 

 the British Museum. 



199. Hodgsonius phoenicuroides. — Hodgson's Short-wing. 



Is found sparingly throughout the valley from 7.500 to 9,500 feet, wherever 

 there is forest with suitable undergrowth. It has a pleasing song usually 

 sung from the midst of a thick bush. Its call resembles the words " He did 

 so" rather like lantliia rufllata. An intruder to the nesting area is at once 

 greeted by its harsh alarm notes accompanied by much flirting of the tail. 

 A nest found near Batta Kundi was built near the ground in a patch of 

 Kaniila {Sambacus ebulus). It reminded me very much of a Nightingale's 

 but more solid. The eggs are plain deep sky-blue. 



320. Sitta kashmirensis. — Brook's Nuthatch. 



Brook's Nuthatch is common locally. This species plasters up its 

 nesting hole with mud like the common Nuthatch. 



323. Sitta leucopsis. — Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch. 



My shikari discovered a nest of the White-checked Nuthatch with 3 eggs 

 in a hole in the ground below the root of a standing Silver Fir, an unusual 

 situation, I believe. 



358. Regulus cristatus. — Gold Crest. 



Is not uncommon near the upper tree limit. 



Its single shrill much repeated call-note and its characteristic way of 

 hovering in the air under a branch (apparently to take insects) distinguish 

 it at a distance from other small warblers. 



Only one nest was found, it was placed 30 feet up in a paluda in a 

 typical situation. It contained 3 young ones and one addled egg. The 

 latter was white with large dark red spots— very different from the normal 

 type — but Colonel Buchanan who has seen many nests tells me that the 

 white heavily-spotted type was the one he has usually met with out here. 

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