306 



greyish brown externally, with lighter margins, and no trace of a white speculum ; bill and legs 

 blackish brown. 



Young (Kitchik Yilak, 14th September, fide Hend. & Hume, Lahore to Yark. p. 210). The tail and wings 

 differ in no respect from the adult ; but the whole of the head, neck, throat, and breast are covered with 

 very loose flax feathers, bluish grey at the base, and yellowish brown towards the tips, a sort of mottled 

 appearance being produced by the bases of the feathers showing through ; the lower abdomen, vent, 

 and lower tail-coverts are pure buffy white. 



Although this bird is now no longer very rare in collections, yet, comparatively speaking, 

 scarcely any thing definite is known respecting its habits, nidification, &c. It inhabits the 

 higher ranges of the Caucasus, and is found eastward along the Himalayas, and has been 

 stated to have occurred as far east as Dauria. 



As regards its occurrence in the Caucasus I find nothing definite on record beyond what 

 Giildenstadt, its discoverer, says, viz. that it lives on the banks of streams, and is not shy. It 

 is said to inhabit the more elevated portions of the Caucasus, migrating southward in winter. 

 Dr. Severtzoff records it (Turk. Jevot. p. 65) as breeding in Turkestan, and found in winter in 

 some portions of the country. It was not met with in Persia by Mr. Blanford and Major St. 

 John; but Dr. Jerdon states (B. of India, i. p. 139) it is "found in Bootan, Nepal, Kumaon, 

 and Cashmere, chiefly in the higher ranges of the Himalayas, rarely lower than 10,000 feet. 

 One pair was seen by Dr. Stewart uear Landour, by the side of a stream ; and it is said to 

 frequent mountain-streams only, like Cluemarrhorms leucocephala. Dr. Henderson, who met 

 with it on his journey from Lahore to Yarkand, says (Lah. to Yark. p. 210): — "This handsome 

 Redstart was met with all through Ladak both in going and returning, and was specially 

 abundant on the return journey in October. It was found as high as 17,800 feet on the snow 

 in the Chang-la Pass ; and, again, on the other side of the plateau it was observed in Yarkand 

 from about 15,000 feet to the foot of the hills, but not in the plains. It frequents the neigh- 

 bourhood of streams generally where there is low jungle, hopping from twig to twig and on the 

 ground catching insects ; but it does not appear, like its near relative Chcemarrhornis leucocephala, 

 to feed immediately at the water's edge, or to venture on the rocks and stones in the midst of 

 torrents. 'Kuchkatch ' is the Kirghiz name for this species." Mr. Blanford, who met with it in 

 Sikkim, says: — " I have seen this bird on the banks of streams and of lakes, but more frequently 

 on rocky hill-sides, and at times on the edges of glaciers. It was only met with at great eleva- 

 tions, never below 14,000 feet ; but in the highest parts of the Lachen and Lachung valleys it 

 was far from rare, and Captain Elwes shot it at Cholamu lake." Prjevalsky also met with it 

 in Mongolia, and says (B. of Mong. in Rowl. Orn. Misc. pt. vi. p. 177), "In China proper and 

 Amurland this bird does not occur ; and we saw it only in the Kan-su Mountains, where it must 

 be extremely scarce, as during the whole summer we only found one pair, at an absolute height 

 of 13,000 feet. In September and October, however, we frequently met with this species, singly 

 and in small flocks, on its migration along the river Tetung-gol and about Koko-nor. In the 

 spring of 1872 the first birds arrived at the above localities on the 12th of April; and I believe 

 I saw some on the 20th of March in the Suma-had Mountains, but am not quite certain whether 

 they belonged to this species. It differs from the other Redstarts in its habits, and more resembles 



