AVES. ' 21 



Nos. 287, 291-293. GagangMr, August 9, 1873. 



Dr. Henderson states that this species was common in the valley of Kashmir in October ; 

 it was met with at Sonamarg, below Baltal, and as low as Gond. 



Genus GRACULUS. 



42. GeACULUS GRACULUS. 



Corvus graculus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 158 (1766). 



Fregilus graculus (L.) ; Hume & Renders. Lahore to Yark. p. 243 (1873) ; Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. 



p. 63 (1873) ; Scully, Str. F. iy. p. 159 (1876) ; Prjev. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 285 (1877) ; 



Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 572; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1882, p. Ill; Homeyer & Tancre, MT. orn. Ver. Wien, 



1883, p. 88; Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 59 (1885) ; Eadde, Ornis, iii. p. 474 (1887). 

 Fregilus himalayanus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 125. 

 Pyrrhocorax graculus, Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 237; Blanf. E. Persia, ii. p. 264 (1876); Biddulpli, Ibis, 



1881, p. 78; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 55. 

 Graculus graculus (L.) ; Sbarpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 146 (1877). 

 Graculus eremita (L.) ; Gates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 43 (1889). 



No. 390. Mataian, Dras Valley, August 14, 1873 {Capt, Trotter). 



No. 596. Leh, August 30, 1873. 



Nos. 612, 614. Leh, September 4, 1873. 



No. 715. Tanksi, September 16, 1873. 



No. 1182. Chakmak, January 3, 1874. 



No. 1418. Sasstekke, March 23, 1874. 



The Leh specimens are very large and the wing reaches to 12*6 inches, and the smallest 

 are the two from Sasstekke and Chakmak, which have the culmen 1*85 inch in length, 

 whereas in the rest of the series it varies from 2*05 to 2*25 inches. The wing in the above 

 smaller specimens is 10*7 to 11*3 inches ; but it is absurd to found a specific distinction on 

 the dimensions of the Chough, which varies greatly in size— the specimen from Mataian, for 

 instance, having a wing only 10*7 inches in length {cf. also Sharpe, Cat. B. iii. p. 147). 



Dr. Henderson, on his journey, found the Chough ''very common all the way from the 

 Sind Valley, through Ladak, to near the Pangong Lake. Eed-billed Choughs, doubtless of 

 this same species, were common on the Karakash. On the upward journey, through Ladak, 

 they were usually seen feeding morning and evening, in larger or smaller flocks, in cultivated 

 ground ; in October, on the return journey, they were feeding in enormous flocks on the 

 berry of the HippopJiae rliamnoides. This bird was known in Ladak as the Chunka'' 



Dr. Scully writes : — " The Red-billed Chough was first met with within the limits of 

 Eastern Turkestan on the Sanju Pass in September 1874. When we got into the hills they 

 were seen every day and were very numerous about Kichik Yailak at an elevation of 

 12,000 feet. The Turki name is ' Kizil tumchuk Kargha,' the Eed-billed Crow." 



The Chough was found by Colonel Biddulph " common everywhere above 10,000 or 

 11,000 feet." He adds :— " I think I saw both this and the Alpine Chough up to the greatest 

 heights we ascended, say nearly 20,000 feet. I remark that the bills of the Pamir birds are 

 more slender than in those from the Indus valley." 



A note in Dr. Stoliczka's ' Diary ' says that this species had already got young ones near 

 Sasstekke on the 16th of May, but eggs were still to be had at that date. 



