Thibetan Ornithology. 363 



in particular, they committed great ravages last season. The ruins 

 on our arrival being still standing, presenting more the appearance of 

 an old deserted and tumbling-down town. 



With reference to the ornithology of Thibet, every bird that I met 

 with was new to me, and I may say, to science. Here snow 

 buntings (Emberiza), were flying about in flocks. Several species of 

 larks (Alauda) ; several stonechats (Saxicola), were common. I also 

 saw a pair of Thana hawks (Accipiter) ; a crow (Corvus), as large 

 as the great Californian one. On one of the lakes at the foot of the 

 Pass there was a duck nearly allied to the Brahminee (Tadorna rutila) ; 

 a pigeon (Columba), quite a new species, and confined to Tartary. 

 The red-legged crow (Pyrrhocorax), is common to both sides, but on 

 the British or south side is not found under 8,000 feet. But to men- 

 tion all the novelties would occupy too much space, one only of those 

 I met with below Dumpore I shall notice — viz., a new species of 

 Enicurus. I had already procured the Enicurus maculatus, which 

 however is common, two or three being met with on every mountain 

 stream. The Enicurus scouleri, is, on the other hand, excessively 

 rare, having only twice met with it in the Himalayas, once in Mundi, 

 and lately on a small stream, Goussain ke Oudiar, below Tongnath, 

 and the species now noticed is the first that I have seen. This adds 

 a fourth species to this interesting genus as found in Asia ; the genus 

 being first characterized by Vigors from the E. maculatus. Hors- 

 field had described another species under the name of Motacilla spe- 

 ciosa. The Rasores are so regularly distributed in the Himalayas 

 as to present an excellent barometer to mark heights: thus from 

 1,800 feet to 5,000, we have the Gallus bankiva, and Phasianus pu- 

 crasia, &c. : from 5,000 to 8,000 we have the Phasianus Stacii, 

 Tetrao chukor, &c. : from 8,000 to 12,000 Lophophorus refulgens, 

 &c. : and from thence upwards to the snow the Tetraogallus, or snow 

 pheasant of travellers, Columba ? snow pigeon. With re- 

 ference to plants this is particularly the case, and for the distribution 

 of one tribe alone, an observer can estimate the height of the regions 

 through which he is travelling — so uniform are the species in their 

 distribution ; the family to which I allude is the Coniferse. But my 

 letter has now extended to too great a length, I must therefore now 

 close, and resume the subject if it interests you. 



Hawulbaugh : August 6th, 1846. 



