52 THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



they rear their young. In its habits it is rather shy. When taking wing, it 

 always utters a loud note, flying very low above the water, and following the 

 curves of the rivulet. When wounded, it very cleverly hides itself among 

 some loose stones, where, on account of its dull ashy plumage, it is difficult 

 to find. 



This species is rather scarce in Kan-su ; and I do not know if it stops 

 there for the winter, although Pere David states that, notwithstanding the 

 severe frosts, it often winters in the mountains north-west of Kalgan ; and on 

 one occasion we observed a specimen in the Koko-nor mountains in the 

 beginning of November, when the frost amounted to 23°. 



230. NuMENius MAJOR, Tcmm. Croushnep holskoy. 

 Temm. & Schleg. Faun. Jap. pi. Ixvi. 



Common in S.E. Mongolia from the end of March (or beginning of 

 April) until the end of the latter month, on the shores of small lakes or in 

 the burnt-out steppes, where some puddles are found. 



We found it breeding in the Hoang-ho valley in small numbers, and 

 noticed the arrival of the first migrants at Koko-nor on the 15th of March; 

 and at the end of that month numerous flocks of about fifteen or twenty- 

 five were seen there : whether they stopped to breed or not, I am unable 

 to state. 



Besides the present species, we noticed also a smaller one in the 

 Hoang-ho valley, but did not succeed in obtaining a specimen. It may 

 have been N. phceopus. 



About Lake Hanka these birds are rather common, arriving about the 

 end of March, and some of them stopping to breed, which they do about the 

 middle of April. 



