THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



313 



Northern Tibet it is replaced by the following species. The first wintering 

 birds we saw even north of Kiachta, near the town of Seleginsk, and all 

 along the road from there to Kalgan. In winter they keep about the 

 Mongolian villages, or in the thickets of some bushes, occasionally 

 assembling in large flocks. In spring these birds pair, and breed in 

 the mountain-valleys, usually on small hills, but not in open steppes. Late 

 in May we found, in S.E. Mongolia, some nests which contained from three 

 to four fresh eggs, whilst those in others were very much incubated. 



The eggs resemble in shape and colour very closely the eggs of Melano- 

 corypha monffoUca, but are somewhat smaller (large diameter 0"'81, small 

 diameter 0"-62). 



Its song is rather weak, and is poured forth only when the bird 

 is sitting, usually on a stone or a rising of the ground. 



176. Otocoris nigrifrons, n. sp. Javoronok chernololey. 



0. albigulce siinillima_, sed major^ rostro longiore et graciliore ; coloribus supra obscurioribns ; fronte 

 antice nigra^ postice alba 3 cervice late nigra. 



By its size and length of bill the present species 



is intermediate between 



0. alUgula and 0. longirostris, Gould, 





Comparative measurements : — 





0. nigrifrons. 



0. albigula, Bp. 



in. 



Length 7'5 



in. in. 



7 



Width 13-5 



? 



Wing . . . . . 4-62 



425-4-37 



Tail 3-35 



317-325 



Culmen 0-46 



0-39-0-41 



Gape 0-68 



0-56-0-58 



Tarsus 0-83 



0-72-0-78 



Hind claw .... 0'44 



0-42 



VOL. II. 



2u 



