181 



thickest branches, and sleeps so sound that if one marks the place where it roosts it is easy to 

 climb the tree and catch the bird with the hand. 



Messrs. Radde and Walter remark that, in spite of the proverbial stupidity of these birds, 

 they acted most peculiarly, as when they had settled on the ground they jerked their tails sharply 

 to the right and left continuously, uttering at the same time their harsh call-note. 



Col. Prjevalsky states (Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 296) that in Mongolia "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 

 Avhen the bird is on the wing or sitting, resembles somewhat the following syllables — ' teu- 

 dricJc, teu-drick ' ; but from the nest the adult birds call ' brijj, brijj,' very much resembling 

 Carpodacus dubius. 



" I cannot state whether M. earnipes leaves the localities in which we found it, for the cold 

 season, or not; but I am inclined to believe that the former opinion is the more likely, as early 

 in May Ave observed, in Kan-su, small flocks of from five to ten individuals, which evidently 

 were migrating or had just arrived, They kept principally to the juniper-bushes in the middle 

 mountain-ranges. I then saw these birds for the first time running on the ground. 



"The young males which I killed in the spring still resemble the females exactly; conse- 

 quently it is most likely they get their full plumage after the second moult. In the middle of 

 summer we obtained examples which had just commenced to get a few black feathers on the 

 breast ; these were probably a year old." 



So far as I can ascertain, nothing is known respecting the breeding-habits of this Grosbeak, 

 and none of the collectors above referred to succeeded in finding its nest and eggs. 



The specimens figured are the male and female above described, and 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 ad. Kopepet-dagh, above Askabad, July 27th, 1886 (Dr. G. Radde). b, <3 , c, ? . Osch, near Kokand, 

 Februaiy 1st and 13th, 1882 {Dr. Staudinger). 



