THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 201 



113. MoNTicoLA SAXATiLis, L. Dvost hamennoy. 



Near the town of Kalgan we found this species for the first time^ inha- 

 biting the adjacent mountains and rocks. At the end of April the males were 

 already singing, usually from some precipice or rock, taking to wing at very 

 short intervals, and then alighting again on the same spot. This performance 

 takes place usually in the morning. I am not aware if this is done by 

 European birds of this species, as I never had a chance to observe their habits 

 myself. It is very abundant in the dry treeless mountains of S.E. Mongolia, 

 but avoids the wooded parts ; and this is the reason why it inhabits only 

 certain localities of Muni-ul. A nest was taken at Suma-had on the 31st of 

 May, constructed of dry grass, and placed in a crevice of a rock about six 

 feet from the ground. It contained five partly incubated bluish-green 

 eggs, on which the female was sitting. Large diameter 0"'95— 1", small 

 diameter 0'^*76— O'^'S. It breeds also in the Hara-narin-ul and Ala-shan 

 mountains, but does not occur in Kan-su. 



114.^ Hydrobata cashmiriensis, Gould. OUapka cashmershaya. 



Hydrohata cashmiriensis, Gould^ Birds of Asia^ part xii. pi. 



On the shores of the clear mountain-brooks of Kan-su it is found from 

 the lowest plains up to the alpine regions, i. e. to an absolute height of 

 over 11,000 feet. In their habits the Kan-su birds do not diff^er from their 

 European congeners. Each pair has its own district, and does not allow any 

 other bird of this species to entrench on it, but lives very peacefully with its 

 neighbours, especially so with Choemarrhornis leucocephala. The whole day 

 it is busily engaged in diving in search of food, flying from stone 

 to stone, or singing its simple but not unpleasant song, which (like our 

 European bird) it does not forget in winter; and in December and 

 February we obtained specimens in the Burhan-Bulda mountains of Northern 

 Tibet. In Kan-su they are most probably resident, keeping to the ice-free 

 mountain-brooks in the winter. In spring, about the 9th of May, all the 



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