782 Notes on the Ornithology of Candahar, [Aug. 



60. Sitta — ? Of this I never obtained a specimen, although they 

 were exceedingly common among the rocks behind the old ruined 

 city of Candahar ; they frequented rocks, however, and not trees, and I 

 venture to term it a Nuthatch on account of the similitude in plumage, 

 size, shape, and motions • — the bill appeared to be short, strong, 

 pointed and black ; the upper parts light slaty grey-blue, with a 

 black stripe through the eye from the forehead or base of bill ; under 

 parts buff or ferruginous white. With the exception of appearing 

 larger, it is very like a Nuthatch we have seen at Mussooree. [Tem- 

 minck, if I remember rightly, gives a S. saxatilis, from Eastern Europe.] 



61. Tichodroma muraria, (L.) This beautiful little bird was very 

 common on the rocks near Candahar, and in other parts of Afghanis- 

 tan. It is identical with the European and Himalayan birds. 



62. Malacocercus [Huttoni, n. s. (p. 476, ante.)] Common. 



63. Columba intermedia, Strickland. Common blue Pigeon. Abun- 

 dant ; breeding in wells and ruins. 



64. Turtur risorius, (L.) Common during the summer. 



65. T. suratensis, (Lath.) Common during the summer. 



66. Phasianus colchicus, L. This specimen was sent to me from 

 Herat, by Lieut. North of the Bombay Engineers : it is said to be not 

 uncommon in the neighbourhood of that city. [Unfortunately, it is 

 not a typical example of its race ; having much white upon its wings 

 (which have been clipped short), and a considerable proportion of the 

 rest of its plumage resembles that of an old or barren English hen 

 Pheasant, that had thrown out the masculine plumage, as is not unfre- 

 quently the case : the more perfectly formed feathers proper to the 

 male sex resemble those of an English cock Pheasant ; and the rich 

 bronze-rufous of the rump and upper tail-coverts is wholly unmixed 

 with green. The size is that of an English hen bird ; but the spurs on 

 the tarsi resemble those of a young cock.] 



67. Tetraogallus [caucasicus, (Pallas), apud G. R. Gray : T. himala- 

 yanus, G. R. Gray; T]. Nigellii, J. E. Gray. These fine birds are 

 common in the Huzarrah mountains and other high ranges ; — they are 

 called Kowk-i-durra, or Partridge of the ghats or passes. Sometimes 

 they are sold in the markets of Cabool. I possessed four living 

 birds at Candahar, which were kept with wings cut in a large court- 

 yard, and lived well for many months. I gave them to a friend, Capt. 



