70 
W. T. Blanford — Zoology of Sikkim. [No. 1, 
there is no constant difference in size between the Western Himalayan choughs 
and F. gracwlus. But my specimens from Sikkim with one exception, a 
female and probably a young bird, somewhat exceed the dimensions given by 
v. Pelzeln.* 
Wing. Tail. 
Male from Sikkim, 12‘75 6‘5 
Three females, ditto, 11-5 to 12-3 5-8 to 6'8 
Male from Switzerland, v. Pelzeln, 1217 5-52 
Tarsus. Bill from gape. 
2-4 23 
2'2 to 2'35 2- to 2 3 
207 2-41 
I have unfortunately only one male specimen. In the smallest specimen 
brought down by me the wing does not exceed eleven inches. 
The red-billed chough is rather scarce on the Chola range. I only saw 
it once at about 13,000 feet elevation. In Northern S ikkim it abounded 
from about 9,000 to 10,000 feet ; at Momay Samdong there were many 
about the houses, as noticed by Hooker, and at first they were not wary, 
but a few shots soon made them wild. They are usually seen about places 
where yaks have been herded, hunting for insects under the dung, but they 
also feed on berries and seeds. The iris is brown. 
680 F. PYRiuTocoitAx, (L.)— Dr. Stoliczka found the yellow-billed 
chough common in Western Tibet, whilst the red-billed bird was com- 
paratively scarce. In Northern Sikkim precisely the reverse is the ease. 
The red-billed chough abounds, whilst the Alpine chough was only seen once. 
I found a flock, five or six miles, below Kongra Lama in the Ldchen valley 
at a little below 15,000 feet, and at a place where the fauna was principally 
Tibetan, and I shot one bird which measured : length 16 inches, wing 1125, 
tail 7-5, tarsus T75, bill from forehead IT. The iris is brown, bill yellow' 
feet red. The crop contained small black berries. I fail to see the necessity 
for placing the two choughs in distinct genera. 
Oarrulus lUpecularis was not seen during the journey, although 
Captain Elwes obtained a specimen from, I believe, the Singalela range. 
TJrocissa flavirostris I saw at Lachung frequently, but not above 8,000 feet. 
Order — ComiMBiE. 
Columbida. 
783 Alsocomfs Hodgsoni. (Vigors) .—Captain Elwes shot this wood 
pigeon at about 13,000 feet elevation near the Tankra-la. I did not meet 
with it. 
790 Columba i.euconota, Vigors.— Locally distributed throughout the 
igher ranges of Sikkim, very common in places, rare in others. This is of 
course the pigeon to which Hooker refers as almost the only animal food he 
could obtain at this place (Him. Jour. II, p. 72). 
h * VonPe,zeln ’ 3 measurements are, I presume, in Vienna inches and lines; these I 
are ^ P • 6 ° f com P arisoll > converted into English inches. If his measurements 
ans inc ies and lines, they would be rather more. 
