296 THE BIEDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



The young of the early broods get fledged in the first part of June. They 

 sometimes form large flocks in autumn, but usually keep in pairs or families. 



The geographical distribution of this species is very much dependent 

 upon the occurrence of the " sacsaulnic ;'' but although the latter is plentiful 

 in Tsaidam, the bird does not occur there ; and it seems to us that the 

 southern limit for the distribution of this Sparrow, in the localities we visited, 

 is formed by the Southern Ala-shan, or, rather, the Kan-su mountains ; the 

 northern one is formed by the Hurha mountains, in Gobi; eastwards, its 

 range does not extend beyond Ordos. 



On comparing Ala-shan specimens with those obtained in Turkestan, I 

 find that the former have light reddish-brown-, and not white- or brownish- 

 grey- edged feathers on the back, wings, and tail. Consequently the upper 

 parts of the Ala-shan birds are of a uniform reddish-brown colour, whilst 

 the Turkestan specimens are brownish grey. 



152. Mycerobas carnipes, Hodgs. 



Gould^ Birds of Asia^ part iii. pi. 



Found in the Ala-shan mountains, Kan-su, and the South Koko-nor 

 mountain- chain, but is not numerous in either of the three localities. In 

 Kan-su it inhabits only those places where juniper trees are growing — i. e. 

 from the middle mountain- circle up to the highest point of bush-growth. 

 Juniper berries form its principal food, which are easily smashed by the 

 strong bill of the bird. In Ala-shan, where juniper bushes are not very 

 abundant, it keeps to the fir-woods, and feeds on the seeds of the cones. 



This species is very lively and quick, and its flight is high and wavy. 

 The call-note, either when the bird is on wing or sitting, resembles some- 

 what the following syllables — " tin-dricJc^ tin-drick-/^ but from the nest the 

 adult birds call "hrijj^ ^'^yjJ' ^^ry much resembling Carpodacus duhius. 



I cannot state whether M. carnipes leaves the localities in which we 



