Dr. O. Finsclds Ornithological Letters. 53 
where birds abounded. Along the Kara or Black Irtisch we 
observed many Eagles, especially Haliaetus albicilla, and still 
more commonly H. leucoryphus. This latter species fre¬ 
quented the lake, where Milvus melanotis was also seen. A 
species of Goose I was unable to determine. It had a black 
bill, and might have been Anser grandis; but the size was too 
small. A large Gull I secured seems different from Larus 
marinus; and a Panurus which frequented the reed-beds may 
be P. biarmicus. In addition to these species I secured 
Emberiza pyrrhuloides and Motacilla cinereocapilla , with the 
white eye-stripe. The Eagles unfortunately were moulting, 
and did not make good skins. 
After crossing theNor-Saissan we had to traverse the desert¬ 
like steppe of Tarik, mentioned above. There one travels for 
hours without meeting with water, nevertheless we found 
Alauda tartarica, A. brachydactyla , and a Lanius allied, to 
L . phcenicurus. This district also is one of the favourite 
resorts of Equus onager , of which we observed many indivi¬ 
duals and procured a young one, which had been caught by 
a Cossack. Here we collected specimens of Syrrhaptes para¬ 
doxus, Otis macqueeni , Pterocles exustus, Glareola melanoptera, 
and for the first time the female of the Emberiza like E . 
rutila, mentioned above. 
We reached Maiterek, a military fort in the southern Altai, 
on the 4th of June, and then made, in company with General 
Poltaratsky, the Governor of Semipalatinsk, an interesting 
excursion through the Chinese high Altai, which was some¬ 
what marred by the badness of the weather. We experienced 
rain, snow, and very cold weather the whole time. We left 
Maiterek on the 6th of June, reached the interesting lake 
Marka'-kul, 5000 feet above the sea, on the 7th, and, descend¬ 
ing from the high pass (9000 feet) of Buricat to the valley 
of the Buchtarma, reached Altaiskesche Stanitza on the 11th, 
being here again on Russian territory. The unfavourable 
weather prevented our making the observations we should 
otherwise have done, and we saw comparatively few species 
of birds. In the more dangerous passes of the high moun¬ 
tains we observed the Himalayan Linaria, an Anthus like 
