45 



reminds one of the grunting of a pig. They breed on the rocky mountains above the tree-growth, 

 and late in July we met with fledged young. This Eedstart was not observed in the vicinity 

 of Darasun." 



Godlewski states {fide Tacz. Orn. Sib. Orient, p. 332) that he " met with it only rarely in 

 the Southern Baikal on passage. In spring it arrives in the first half of April, and proceeds for 

 the purposes of nidification to the mountains in the upper portion of the cembra-forest zone. In 

 July we met with fledged young on the Khamardaban Mountain, where they frequented the 

 southern part of the abrupt precipices. In the autumn it passes through the Southern Baikal 

 early in September." 



In Alashan and to the south of that district another perfectly distinct species (Ruticilla 

 alaschanica, Prjev.) occurs, which has, Col. Prjevalsky says, a range quite distinct from that of 

 the present species. Mr. Seebohm (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v. p. 348) included Muticilla alaschanica 

 as a synonym of. Muticilla erythronota, but subsequently (Ibis, 1882, p. 421) corrected this error, 

 and acknowledged the validity of Prjevalsky's species ; and, thanks to the liberality of Mr. Pleske, 

 who has sent me a specimen of JR. alaschanica, I am able to confirm this correction, for Ruticilla 

 alaschanica is easily distinguishable in having the lores and sides of the head blue-grey instead 

 of black as in B. erythronota. 



I give above all the information I can find on record respecting the habits of the present 

 species ; and as regards its nidification, though Dybowski and Godlewski found it breeding in 

 Eastern Siberia, they do not appear to have obtained its eggs, of which I find no description 

 on record. 



The specimens figured and described are in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, J 1 ad. Chimkent, February 6th, 1866; b, £ . Chimkent, January 18th, 1866 (Severtzoff). c, J 1 . Central 

 Asia (Verreaux). d, J 1 . Eastern Tian-Shan, January 18th, 1875 {Severtzoff). e, g . Tashkend, 

 December 14th, 1874 (Severtzoff). f, ? ad. E. Tian-Shan, January 20th, 1875 (Severtzoff). g, $ ad. 

 Kandahar, December 1880; h, $ ad. Kandahar, January 2nd, 1881 (Col. Sivinhoe). i, $ , k, ?. 

 Kenderlyk, Tarbagatai, October 13th and September 13th, 1878 (Pleske). I, $ . Saissansk, March 

 (Prjevalsky). 



