THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 285 



scarce. It usually frequents fields, and does not difi^er from the European 

 Rook in its habits. About Lake Hanka we several times saw this bird ; it 

 would seem that it arrives there about the middle of March, and breeds in 

 the Sungach marshes in limited numbers 



136. Lycos dauricus, Pall. Galka daurskaya. 



Rare during winter in Urgey, and breeds erratically in S.E. Mongolia, 

 only being common during migration, about March. We observed it in 

 Ala-shan only in the vicinity of Din-un-in, but found it generally distributed 

 throughout Kan-su, on the lower plains. In its voice and habits it does not 

 difi^er from the European Jackdaw. 



The Daurian Jackdaw breeds abundantly about Lake Hanka, in clefts or 

 hollow trees, arriving thither in March, and leaving in October. It is very 

 remarkable that as soon as the young are fledged these Jackdaws leave Lake 

 Hanka in great numbers, probably for the more fertile localities of Manchuria 

 and Corea. 



137. Pyrrhocorax alpinus, Vieill. Clushitza alpeyskaya. 



Was met with by us only in the alpine regions of the Kan-su mountains, 

 where it usually keeps in flocks, which are at times very large. Occasionally 

 they descend to the lower plains in search of food, but always return again to 

 their native rocks. Some of our specimens, shot in August, were moulting 

 very fast. The Kan-su mountains form its northern, and probably its 

 eastern boundary. 



138. Fregilus graculus, L. Clushitza grion. 



The Mongolian and Chinese specimens diff'er from the European ones 

 by their shorter tarsus and toes ; the latter are also thicker. In consideration 

 of this, Mr. Swinhoe (Proc, Zool. Soc. Lond. 1871, p. 383) has named this 



