Ornithological Notes from Afghanistan. 63 
I saw three Nutcrackers one day on the Peiwar Kotul, 
which I believe belonged to this species. 
(668 bis) Pica RUSTICA. 
Corvus rusticus, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 38. 
Pica bactriana, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. p. 883 (Afghani- 
stan). 
Pica sericea, Gould, P.Z.S. 1845, p. 2, “ China ”’= (P. 
media, Blyth, J. A.S.B. xiii. p. 303, “ Andes ”’). 
The common Magpie is excessively abundant in Afghani- 
stan, and was breeding throughout May and June. In July 
numbers of young birds were brought into camp by the 
soldiers and caged. 
It may be mentioned that it is not without a careful 
examination of a considerable series of Magpies from Europe 
and Asia that I have followed Mr. Dresser (B. of Europe) 
and Mr. Sharpe (Cat. B. vol. iii. p. 62) in uniting all the 
above species, which several authorities hold to be distinct. 
With reference to Pica bottanensis 1 am not able to speak 
from my own experience ; and it would appear that Dresser 
had not examined a specimen from Bhootan in preparing his 
article (tom. cit.). Mr. Hume (Lah. to Yark. p. 241) seems 
confideut of its specific distinction. 
(684) AcripoTHEREs TRIsTIS (Linn.). 
Unknown in the Hariab valley, although abounding a few 
miles away on the far side of the Peiwar range. It is parti- 
cularly abundant in the Kurrum valley. 
Acridotheres fuscus of my first paper (Ibis, 1879, p. 448) 
is this species. 
(687) Srurnia pacopaRuM (Gmel.). 
Never seen but once, when I saw a flock on some willow 
trees. They were evidently passing through; for they were 
never seen again. 
(706) PassER rnvicvus, J. & S. 
The common House-sparrow of the Hariab valley. The 
Sparrows fly about in large flocks of sometimes two hundred 
to three hundred birds, of which about ten per cent. are P. 
salicicola. 
