Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 
899 
Traversing the district between Lake Ubsa and the Altai 
Mountains, we found the high ranges very wealthy in bird- 
and animal-life. The steppe-country was on the whole very 
lifeless, but the lakes swarmed with birds. The following 
were noted on the Atchit Nor :—Wild Geese (three species), 
Mallard, Teal, Wild Swan, Grey Phalarope, Golden Plover 
(in full summer dress), Black Stork, Gulls, Terns, Black 
Vulture, Pallas’s Sand-Grouse, Kites, Tree-Sparrows, and 
Horned Larks. 
By September we had crossed the Great Altai and entered 
Dzungaria. Travelling by way of the Upper Black Irtish, 
Lake Ulungar, and the Sair Mountain, we reached Chugu- 
chak, and thence, by way of the Ala-tau and Sairam Nor, 
the Ili Valley and Kuldja. During the last part of this 
journey I had neither time nor opportunity to collect. But 
I recorded a certain number of birds during this long journey 
through this the most bird-less country that I have ever seen ; 
there seemed to be little else but immense flocks of Pallas’s 
Sand-Grouse and a few Horned Larks. 
Here the winter migration and the comparison of the 
winter conditions of the Ili Valley with those of the Zaraf- 
schan much interested me. The difference is remarkable. 
Although but very little further north, the Ili Valley is frost- 
bound for three or four months, all the rivers are frozen and 
the snow lies deep, whilst in the Zarafschan I collected 
specimens throughout the winter. Wildfowl are here com¬ 
paratively scarce, but the lower Zarafschan forms an immense 
winter-resort for Ducks, Geese, Waders, &c. 
In January I shall start eastwards again, going, via 
Urumchi and Durfar, to Hami. En route I hope to collect 
on the Bogdo-ola and Hami Mountains, and also on further 
journeys which I expect to make into the Gobi, east of Hami. 
I hope to be in England next autumn. From here I am 
sending off a small collection to the British Museum and 
hope it will get through safely. 
I am, Sirs, 
Yours &c., 
Kuldja, . Douglas Carruthers. 
Chinese Dzungarin, 
Central Asia. 
Dec. 27th, 1910. 
