286 THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



bird " var. hrachypus ;" but the species inhabiting Northern Tibet is probably 

 the same as the Himalayan one, which does not differ from the European in 

 the tarsus, but is larger in size. 

 Measurements : — 







Length. 



Width. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Gape. 



Tarsus. 



Middle toe. 







in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



<J. 



Urgey . 



. 15 



28 



123 



6-5 



21 



1-76 



0-9 



?. 



Urgey . 



. 13-5 



26 



11-8 



6-2 



1-97 



1-66 



0-78 



s. 



N. Tibet 



. 17-3 



33 



13 



. 6-5 



2-26 



2-2 



102 



Fregilus graculus is very common throughout Mongolia, Kan-su, and 

 North Tibet, with the exception of the wildest deserts. It breeds in 

 Mongolia, on the rocks and cliflFs of the mountains, and in holes in earth- 

 banks. In Urgey a pair had a nest on the house of the Russian Embassy. 

 The eggs (three or four in number) are similar to those of our European 

 birds ; large diameter 1"*64, small diameter l"*08. They sit verj^ closely, 

 and on several occasions left the nest onlv when we had half dus: it out. 

 These nests are often situated in 3— 6-feet-deep holes in earthbanks, and are 

 constructed of hair only. The nidification commences very early; and in 

 the beginning of April strongly incubated eggs were taken by us. 



They usually keep in small or large flocks. In Tibet we several times 

 saw flocks of from six hundred to one thousand specimens, which left the 

 mountains for feeding during the day, but always returned for their 

 night's roost to the rocks. Occasionally these flocks rise very high in 

 the air ; and, in order to estimate the altitude, I may mention that the plain 

 from which we made our observations was situated up to 14,000 feet above 

 the sea-level. 



It is scarce in Zabaikalje, and does not go north of that place. 



139. Temenuchus dauricus, Pall. 



This common Chinese bird was only once observed by us in S.E. Mon- 



