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have before me a number of specimens from the North-west Provinces of India, chiefly obtained 

 by Mr. W. E. Brooks. Dr. Jerdon writes (B. of Ind. ii. p. 132) that he obtained a specimen 

 from near Mhow in the cold season, and that it is known to be found, though rarely, in the 

 Upper Provinces ; and Mr. A. O. Hume says, " though common enough throughout Sindh, it 

 was by no means so numerous there as it is everywhere in the North-western Provinces, the 

 Punjaub, and Rajpootana." 



Mr. Severtzofl", who met with it in Turkestan, records it (Turk. Jevot. p. 65) as found, in the 

 north-eastern part of the country, at Semirechje, Issik-kul, the Upper Narin, Aksay, Copal, and 

 Vernoe — in the south-eastern districts, at Chu, Djumgal, Susamir, the lower Narin, Sou-kul, and 

 Chatir-kul — and, in the north-western districts, at Karatau, the western Thian-shan, Aris, Kalles, 

 Chir-chik, and the Syr-Darja — in most of which places it was found breeding. During migration 

 it is found in the mountains, at an elevation of from 3000 to 4000 feet, and breeds at from 4000 

 to 10,500 feet above the sea-level. Dr. G. Radde met with it in Siberia, and says that it arrives 

 there earlier than Saocicola cenanthe, the first arivals at the Tarei-nor taking place on the 9th 

 March. In the Selenga valley, sixty miles north of Kjachta, he first observed them on the 8th 

 April; but at the more elevated locality of Tunka they did not appear till the 23rd April, old 

 style. Specimens killed near Kulussutajefsk, on the 23rd August, were in moult. Von Schrenck 

 also says that Mr. Maack obtained specimens on the 19th April, old style, on the banks of the 

 Nertcha river, on the upper part of the Amoor. According to Dr. Dybowski (J. f. O. 1872, 

 p. 435) it " breeds in the steppes of Dauria, placing its nest in deserted holes of Lagomys ogotoma 

 and Spermophilus eversmanni." 



Pere David met with it in Northern China, where it inhabits the elevated plains near Peking, 

 and nests in the deserted holes of S. mongolicus, as it does in Dauria and other localities. 



In its habits the Isabelline Chat closely resembles its near ally, S. osnanthe. It is said to 

 sing well ; and, according to Dr. Radde, its song commences with a croaking note like a Shrike's 

 call, which is. followed by the whistling tones. Its breeding-habits, nest, and eggs have only 

 been known during the last few years ; and its eggs are even now very rare in collections. 

 Dr. Kriiper published some excellent notes on its nidification in the ' Journal fur Ornithologie ' 

 (1869, p. 35), from which I extract the. following particulars: — "On the 24th April, 1867, 

 Mr. Schrader shot the first specimen, a male, behind the village of Narlikevi ; and on the 2nd 

 May I shot a male, and had an opportuniy of watching a pair which were breeding. Between 

 Burnova and Narlikevi there is a large piece of fallow ground, on which the cattle and camels 

 were allowed to graze ; and in the centre of this a pair of these Chats had established their 

 breeding-quarters. As there were no stones near, I immediately surmised that the nest must be 

 in the ground. The Asiatic mole (Spalax typhlns) had tunnelled under the ground so extensively 

 that in many places the earth had given way under the feet of the cattle. In one of these places 

 I saw the footprints and droppings of the Chat, and supposed that the nest must be there. 

 Several days later I dug out a last-year's nest, in which was a skeleton of a bird ; and soon after 

 I lost sight of the birds. On the 22nd May I found a nest at Turbali, which was also in a mole- 

 hole which had been cut through in making the railroad ; and in it I found nearly fledged young. 

 In 1868 I did not succeed in finding any eggs. The pair appeared again at Narlekevi, but I 

 could not find the nest until later. On the 16th May I saw one of the birds sitting quietly on a 



