^00 THE BIEDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



same colour, only shaded with red. Stomach and flanks dirty Hght brown. 

 Quills and tail-feathers blackish, the former marked with very fine hardly 

 perceivable pale edges. Large and middle upper wing-coverts same colour 

 as the quills : small upper wing-coverts brownish. Under wing-coverts and 

 feathers under the shoulders pale brown, with indistinctly marked lighter 

 edges ; under tail- coverts blackish, with hght-brown edges. 



The species, named by me after our well-known ichthyologist. Professor 

 Kessler, was discovered by us in the Kan-su mountains, where it inhabits the 

 wooded and alpine bush-covered districts. It principally keeps, however, to 

 the thick groves of juniper-bushes, which grow at a height of 1200 feet 

 above the sea-level. 



In its habits M. kessleri very much resembles 31. gouldii, and sings 

 equally well, which it usually does from the top of some tree. The call-note, 

 however, which it utters in rising or when flying, consists of rough mono- 

 syllables something like "chock, chock, chock \'' 



The first migrants were observed on the 13th of April. They arrived 

 in pairs or small flocks of from three to five, and were at that time usually 

 seen in the thickets on the shores of mountain-creeks. In the middle 

 of May the nests were ready ; and, judging from the loss of feathers on the 

 stomach, the male also takes his turn in hatching. About the end of July 

 we noticed the first fully fledged young, which during the months of July 

 and August kept in families. These flocks, and also those consisting of old 

 birds in spring, were usually to be seen feeding in the mountain-meadows. 



The Kan-su mountains form the northern limit of these birds. 



112. Oreocincla varia. Pall. 



We found a dead specimen in the northern Ala-shan desert, close to a 

 well, w^here only two willows were growing. Most likely it had perished 

 from want of food. Another time we met with it in Ussuri country, in the 

 end of April, at Lake Hanka, and succeeded in shooting it. 



