AVES. 123 



Dr. Stoliczka writes in his ' Diary ': — " Kugiar, June 1st. C. communis is certainly rare in 

 summer and goes probably further north, returning here in autumn or at least passing 

 through. It is said to be very common in Andijan during the summer. I heard only a 

 single Quail calling when coming out of Karghalik yesterday morning." 



Genus TETR AO G ALLUS. 



280. Tetraogallus tibetanus. 



Tetraoff alius tibetanus, Gould', Hume & Henders. Lahore to Yark. p. 281 (1873); Scully, Str. F. iv. 

 p. 182 (1876) ; Prjev. in Eowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 427 (1877). 



Colonel Biddulph procured a female specimen in the Sakti Pass on the 15th of September. 

 He says : — " This is the only occasion on which I shot a specimen of this species. Crossing 

 the Lankar Pass (Marsemik) a few days later, I saw otliers, probably of this species." Dr. 

 Stoliczka says that it was common in the Kaskasu Pass on the 26th of March. 



Dr. Scully writes : — " I shot my first specimen of this species on the 24th September 

 1874 near the top of the Sanju Pass, at an elevation of 16,000 feet. Next day I saw hundreds 

 of the birds in a side valley near Kichik Yailak, where they afforded me good shooting. 

 They associated in coveys of aboat ten to twenty, and were not very shy. When approached 

 from below they moved leisurely up hill, stopping every now and then to look at one ; but 

 when shot at or alarmed they flew downwards very swiftly, uttering a pleasant musical whistle. 

 I found their flesh most delicious eating. Numbers of these birds were brought to us alive, 

 during the winter, at Kashghar (where a specimen was preserved) and at Yarkand ; they were 

 very tame in confinement. Both this species and the preceding one had evidently sought the 

 lower hills near the plains when winter set in. The Turki name for the bird is ' Ular/ and 

 they are said to be found in all the hills which bound Eastern Turkestan on the north, west, 

 and south." 



281. Tetraogallus himalatensis. (Plate XV.) 



Tetraogallus himalayensis (Gray) ; Hume & Henders. Lahore to Yark. p. 280 (1873) ; Scully, Str. P. iv. 

 p. 181 (1876) ; Bidd. Ibis, 1881, p. 93 ; Scully, ibid. p. 586 ; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 72 ; Scully 

 J. A. S. Beng. Ivi. p. 86 (1887). 



No. 843. Shahidiila, November 21, 1873 {Mr, Forsyth). 



In his 'Diary ' Dr. Stoliczka writes :—" Sasstekke, May 16. Hyder Mahomed got five Ular 

 eggs for me. The bird makes its nest of grass &c. high up between rocks." 



The specimen preserved by Dr. Stoliczka is much paler than any of the Himalayan birds 

 in the National Collection, and it may ultimately be found desirable to separate the Central 

 Asian bird as a subspecies or race. 



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