16 SECOND YAHKAND MISSION. 



No. 463. Kargil, August 19, 1873.— Wing 17*9 inches. 



No. 527. Snurla, on the Indus, August 24, 1873. 



No. 597. Leh, August 30, 1873.— Wing 19-3 inches. 



No. 613. Leh, September 4, 1873. — Wing 18-4 inches. 



No. 1383. Kalti Ailak, March 1, 1874.— Wing about 17 inches. 



This is the specimen recorded in the Diary (p. 33), and which Stoliczka thouglit 



was so small as to be certainly C. lawrencii of Hume; but it is in worn and moultino- 



plumage, and consequently the measurements are defective. 

 No. 1541. Aktash, May 5, 1874. — Wing imperfect, about 17 inches. 

 Ad. Karakorum-brangsa, June 15, 1874. — Length 25 inches, wing 18*3, tail 10*0, tarsus 



2'8 ; expanse 54. Iris dark brown ; bill and feet black. 



Mr. Oates has drawn attention (L c.) to the difference of size in the throat-hackles of 

 the upland Rayen, and his conclusions are decidedly confirmed by the series collected by 

 Dr. Stoliczka. All the Havens obtained in Leh are of the form called C, tibetamts, but those 

 from the neighbourhood of Yarkand are of the smaller race, which Hume called C. lawrencii. 

 Dr. Stoliczka seems to have noticed this himself, and on the whole question Mr. Oates's 

 remarks should be studied, though he agrees with me (Cat. B. iii. p. 14) that it is impossible 

 to separate the Alpine Raven as a species, further notes on the dimensions of Indian and 

 Central Asiatic Ravens will be found in Mr. Hume's account in 'Lahore to Yarkand' and 

 in Dr. Scully's paper {I. c). 



Colonel Biddulph says that (7. tihetanus was found throughout Ladak, not with the camp, 

 but quite by themselves on the plain, and generally in pairs. He could not remember 

 ever seeing a Raven in Yarkand. He observes : — " On the Pamir, at an elevation of 

 13,500 feet, I saw a flock of (7. tihetanus of about twenty birds, and shot four. 

 Between Kizil and Ak Robat, in the desert, I saw several flying overhead. Coming back I 

 found them very tame and plentiful (this was in June) nearly at the top of the Karakorum, 

 18,500 feet." 



Dr. Henderson's note is as follows :— " The Tibet Raven accompanied the camp through- 

 out, from the first entry into Ladak right through Yarkand, almost to the city itself, and 

 back again. It was extremely familiar and bold, and it was impossible to leave anything 

 eatable about which it did not attempt to steal. Even milk-pots it would deliberately upset 

 to obtain a sup of the contents. At the greatest altitudes and through the most absolute 

 deserts at least half a dozen accompanied the camp, some doubtless of the very same birds 

 thus travelling the whole way from Leh to the vicinity of the city of Yarkand. When the 

 camp divided, about half the Ravens went with each party. On first starting in the morning, 

 they always accompanied the party to a short distance, and then they returned to the old 

 camping-ground, apparently to make sure that nothing eatable had been left behind, and 

 there they might be seen prowling about wisely for an hour or so, again joining the party in 

 the afternoon at the new camp." 



Dr. Stoliczka noted the Raven as beginning to build its nest near Aktash on the 4th 

 of May. 



Dr. Scully says that on the return journey, in August, the Raven was met with below 

 Kizil Yailak, and was very numerous about the Sanju Pass. 



