199 



Yarkandis call it Tagh-Timochuk, or the Mountain Timochuk, "Timochuk" being the Turki 

 name for B. obsoletus. 



It frequents, Pere David says, in large flocks the sandy plateaux in arid, sun-dried places, 

 and feeds on all sorts of small seeds which it picks up in the sand. It appears in June, and 

 takes up its abode in the high rocks, where it makes its nest in bushes or even in natural 

 cavities. When the female is incubating the male rises in the air, emitting its song do-mi-sol-mi, 

 uttered softly, quite different from its ordinary notes, which are very pleasing. It is a very tame 

 bird, and will allow itself to be approached without interrupting its song. Prjevalsky states 

 that its favourite localities are high clayey hills, especially if they abound with ravines. From 

 here they visit stony localities in some of the mountain plains and near saline lakes, where they 

 feed on the seeds of saline plants. He remarks that its note, uttered when on the wing, consists 

 of a few short syllables resembling tuck tuck tuck. The only information I find on record 

 respecting its nidification is that furnished by Prjevalsky, who found in May 1872 a nest 

 in the Harin-narin-ul, which he describes (Orn. Misc. ii. p. 303) as being " constructed in the 

 thick branches of a young elm tree, not above a fathom from the ground. The foundation 

 consisted of dry branches of a mugwort, and the lining of a thick layer of goat's hair. The 

 eggs (three in number) were quite fresh ; they are of an elongated conical shape, of a whitish- 

 green colour, marked on the large end with a few blackish spots and lines, and measure 0" - 82 to 

 0"'86 by 0" - 54 to 0" - 58. The female was already sitting very close, so that I almost caught her 

 on the nest with my hands. The male was also near at the time ; and when the female, after 

 leaving the nest, joined the male, they commenced caressing each other, just like Pigeons." 



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 ad. Sartchy, May 24th, 1866 (Abbe Armand David), b, J 1 . Between Chimkend and Tashkend, 

 October 18tk, 1864 (Severtzoff). c, $ . Ortyn-dagh, October 1890; d, $. Tousckkan-Darja, June 

 1889 (Pevtzoff). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 



a, $ . Kokand (Severtzoff) . 



2f2 



