70 W. T. Blanford— Zoology of SiJclcim. [No. 1, 



there is no constant difference in size between the Western Himalayan choughs 

 and F. graculus. But my specimens from Sikkim with one exception, a 

 female and probably a young bird, somewhat exceed the dimensions given by 

 v. Pelzeln.* 



Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill from gape. 



Male from Sikkim, 12'75 65 2-4 23 



Three females, ditto, 11-5 to 12'3 5'8 to 6-8 2'2 to 2-35 2* to 23 



Male from Switzerland, v. Pelzeln, 12-17 5'52 2'07 24,1 



I have unfortunately only one male specimen. In the smallest specimen 

 brought down by me the wing does not exceed eleven inches. 



The red-billed chough is rather scarce on the Chola range. I only saw 

 it once at about 13,000 feet elevation. In Northern Sikkim it abounded 

 from about 9,000 to 16,000 feet ; at Momay Samdong there were many 

 about the houses, as noticed by Hooker, and at first they were not wary, 

 but a few shots soon made them wild. They are usually seen about places 

 where yaks have been herded, hunting for insects under the dung, but they 

 also feed on berries and seeds. The his is brown. 



680 F. pyrbhocorax, (L.) — Dr. Stoliczka found the yellow-billed 

 chough common in Western Tibet, whilst the red-billed bird was com- 

 paratively scarce. In Northern Sikkim precisely the reverse is the case. 

 The red-billed chough abounds, whilst the Alpine chough was only seen once. 

 I found a flock, five or six mil^s, below Kongra Lama in the Lachen valley 

 at a little below 15,000 feet, and at a place where the fauna was principally 

 Tibetan, and I shot one bird which measured : length 16 inches, wing ll - 25, 

 tail 7'5, tarsus l - 75, bill from forehead 1*1. The iris is brown, bill yellow, 

 feet red. The crop contained small black berries. I fail to see the necessity 

 for placing the two choughs in distinct genera. 



Garrulus Tjispecularis was not seen during the journey, although 

 Captain Elwes obtained a specimen from, I believe, the Singalela range. 

 TJrocissa flavirostris I saw at Lachung frequently, but not above 8,000 feet. 



Order — Columb^:. 



Columoidce. 



783 Alsocomus Hodgsoki. (Vigors). — Captain Elwes shot this wood 

 pigeon at about 13,000 feet elevation near the Tankra-la. I did not meet 

 with it. 



790 Columba LETJCOisroTA, Vigors. — Locally distributed throughout the 

 higher ranges of Sikkim, very common in places, rare in others. This is of 

 course the pigeon to which Hooker refers as almost the only animal food he 

 could obtain at this place (Him. Jour. II, p. 72). 



* Von Pelzeln's measurements are, I presume, in Vienna inches and lines ; these I 

 have, for the sake of comparison, converted into English inches. If his measurements 

 are in Paris inches and lines, they would be rather more. 



