50 THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



themselves over the islands at the mouth of the river Lefa, of which I have 

 spoken above. 



After the young leave their nests, early in July, they w^ander about the 

 marshes, sometimes in company with "White Storks. 



225. BOTAURUS STELLARIS, L. Vip. 



We met with them only on the lakes of the Hoang-ho valley ; but in 

 the Lake-Hanka basin they are very numerous, and find there a great many 

 suitable localities in the impenetrable marshes, where they arrive about the 

 end of March and beginning of April, when their voice can be heard not 

 only at dusk but also at night and in the evening. 



226. CicoNiA BOYCiANA, Swiuh. ? Aist heley. 



We only once noticed this species in the northern parts of Gu-bey-key ; 

 and, according to Dr. Dybowsky, it has also occurred in the Ussuri country. 

 Daring my whole stay there I could not obtain a single specimen of 

 C. hoycicma ; and when I first saw it 1 mistook it for C alba. 



At Lake Hanka these Storks arrive about the 10th of March, and 

 commence breeding early in April, usually on high trees, along the shores of 

 rivers and in the Sungatchin marshes. During the breeding-season, they 

 are extremely shy. 



It is remarkable that a great many nests of the present species are 

 destroyed by Tibet bears (^Ursiis tliibetanus), who climb up to the nests and 

 eat the young birds. 



227. CicoNiA NIGRA, L. Aist cherney. 

 An occasional visitor to S.E. MongoUa, and perhaps breeds in the 



