THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 307 



165. EuspizA AUREOLA, Pall. Strenatha chernolitzaya. 



We noticed them in S.E. Mongolia, during the vernal migration, early 

 in May, and found them breeding in the Hoang-ho valley, but not numerously. 

 Between Ala-shan and Urga we occasionally met with them, near wells and 

 rivers, in the bushes. It does not, apparently, occur in Kan-su. It is very 

 common on the Ussuri, and breeds in the meadows on the ground, and 

 sometimes also in the bushes. From three to four is the number of eggs in a 

 nest, which the young birds leave in the end of June, and then keep in large 

 flocks near the cornfields. In spring the male sings very well, usually from 

 the top of a bush, or, if such is not to be found, from some other. 



At Lake Hanka the earliest migrants arrived late in April; but the 

 principal migration takes place early in May. The autumnal migration was 

 not noticed by us. 



166. Emberiza spodocephala, Pall. 



Middendorff^ Sibirische Reise^ ii. p. 2^ pis. v.-viii. 



Found by us only in S.E. Mongolia and Ala-shan during migration, very 

 late — i, e, about the middle of May. In Ussuri country it is not so numerous 

 as the preceding species, but still is not very rare. It principally inhabits 

 the bushes and woods, and is but seldom found in the plains covered with 

 grass. It breeds on the ground ; and on the 24th of May I found five young 

 birds, just hatched. 



In spring, at Lake Hanka, E. spodocephala arrives early in April, although 

 the principal migration takes place in the end of that month. 



167. Emberiza pityornis. Pall. Strenatha heloshapotchnaya. 



We found it in rather limited numbers north of Gu-bey-key and in 

 Muni-ul, where it perhaps breeds. In Kan-su it arrives about the middle of 



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