72 
W. T. Blanford — Zoology of Sikkim. [No. 1, 
and if, as frequently takes place, the flock has been scattered, after a few 
minutes they commence calling with a peculiar long cry, something like the 
squeal of a kite. The only other note I heard was a sharp monosyllabic 
note of alarm ; I have heard a bird utter this when sitting on a branch 
within twenty yards of me. 
In their crops I found small fruits, leaves, seeds, and in one instance 
what appeared to be the spore cases of a moss ; there were no leaves or 
berries of juniper, and the birds were excellent eating. We did not notice 
the unpleasant flavour mentioned by Hooker, probably because better food 
is abundant at the season when we shot our birds, and they consequently do 
not then feed upon pine or juniper. 
Tctraonidce. 
81/ Lebva xivtcola, Hodgs. — I found the snow partridge abundant on 
the bare slopes of the hills near Yeomatong, at elevations above the limit of 
bushes. Their habits are admirably described by “ Mountaineer” as quoted 
by Jerdon. They appear to be local in Sikkim. I only saw them at one 
other locality, near Tangu, and Captain Elwes came across some near the 
Tankra-la. They are excellent eating, and by no means tough, if kept for a 
few days. 
Teteaogallus Tibetans ? Gould. — A species of Tetraogallus was 
shot by Captain Chainer at Phalung ; of one specimen he brought the skin 
to Darjiling, and gave it to Captain Elwes, who considered it to be the 
above species. I did not examine it, but the identification is probably 
correct, since the fauna of Phaldng is quite Tibetan. 
The biids seen by Major «X. L. Sherwill south of Kinchinjanga, and 
which he thought were probably Tetraogallus Himalayensis (J. A. S. B., 
1863, p. 468,) could scarcely have been that species, as he says they closely 
resembled Pturmagan ; and the snow cock is so much larger than Pturmagan 
that no one who had ever seen the latter could have thought the former 
resembled it. In all probability the birds seen by Major Sherwill were 
Lena nivicola. 
Order — Gball.e. 
ScolopaculcB. 
8/9 InnxnuivxcTics Stbutheesii, Vigors. — We met with several of 
these birds around Yeomatong. Apparently these were one or two families 
which had bred in this broad portion of the Lachdng valley. They were, 
for the most part, solitary or in pairs, keeping in the gravel flats or on the 
turf beside the stream, and rather waiy. I found remains of insects, appa- 
rently coleoptera, in their stomachs. 
The paucity of both waders and ducks in the higher regions of Sikkim, 
is remarkable. I once saw a snipe at Momay Samdong, which looked larger 
