a flock of about 20 on the Pamir on the 2ND of May, at an
elevation of 13,500 feet and shot four.
Yarkand Proper is too low for this species, but Biddulpn
thought he twice saw flocks flying overhead, once between
Kooshtak and Oitograk, and on the other occasion between
Kizzil and Kokrobat in the desert.
I n o not think that I have ever met with this species at elevations
above 17,000 or below 12,000 feet, but I have, of course, only seen
it between 1st June and 15th September and during the colder
months it may descend lower.
Although it keeps on barren and desolate steppes, in the
neighbourhood often of rocky ranges, / have never seen it
(the experience of others seems to be different^ on these or on
steep hill sides, and I have always noticed that there was sure
to be some water, fresh or brackish, within a reasonable distance
of its feeding ground.
In the morning and afternoon it moves about on the more
or less undulating semi-desert plains, feeding on grass and
other seeds and berries, and any young green shoots it can find.
During the middle of the day it squats about, especially if the
day be hot, basking in the sun, very generally scratching for
itself a small depression in the soil.
Both when feeding and taking its siesta, it is not uncommonly
in considerable flocks (I have seen several hundreds together) ;
but in summer, at any rate, it is perhaps more common to meet
with it in little parties of from three to twenty. Whilst feeding,
it trots about more rapidly and easily* than its short featherencased
legs and feet would lead one to suppose ; individuals
continually flying up and alighting a few yards further on, and
now and again the whole flock rising and flying round,
apparently without reason or aim.
Sometimes it is very shy, especially in the early mornings and
evenings ; and though it will not, unless repeatedly fired at, fly
far, it will yet not let you approach within 100 yards; but, as a
rule, during the heat of the day, you may walk right in
amongst them. They are precisely the colour of the sand when
basking, and often the first notice you have of their proximity
is the sudden patter of their many wings as they rise and dart
away, and the babel of their cries, which, if the flock be a
large one, is really startling for a moment. Once up, they
are off and away with a rapidity that takes a good shot, and
a hard-hitting gun to deal with satisfactorily, but they rarely
at mid-day go far ; and if the sun is bright, you may get shot
after shot out of the same party by following them up.
* Prjev.ilski, I see, says it runs clumsily and slowly, generally forming a line.
I have watched it dozens of times, and never saw it form any special line.
Indeed, a flock is usually irregularly dotted about on a plot one or two acres in extent,
and as to clumsiness, if the ground be smooth (rough ground, of course, bothers
its short legs) it moves quite easily.
Early in the morning, and quite at dusk, they come down
to the water to drink ; by preference to fresh water, but, as at
the Tso-Khar, at times to quite brackish water.
They are always noisy birds when moving about, uttering a
call something like guk, guk, to my ear, or again, as some people
syllable it, " yak-yak," " caga-caga," &c, &c, but they are
specially noisy in the evenings, when they come down to drink ;
and quite late in the evening, when wearied with the day's
tramp in those high regions, dinner discussed, and the peaceful
pipe achieved, one turns in for the night, their characteristic
double cry may still be heard round the tents, pitched always,
of course, when possible, near water.
It is many years since Mountaineer personally dealt with this
species, and all he can now remember of their habits is, that they
" are met with in pairs, sometimes singly, and also in flocks of
half a dozen or a dozen, on the hills and upland plains, at from
14,000 to 17,000 feet. They lie close till one gets within 50 or
100 yards, and then fly up with the usual chuckle, generally
alighting again at no very great distance."
Nothing more seems known of the bird.
THAT THEY breed on the high plains of Ladak I am quite
certain, but I have never seen the eggs, nor has my friend,
Mr. Wilson, been able of late years to procure any for me.
IN THE old days when I used to shoot them, I cared little for
birds and never measured them ; so that the few measurements
I have to record I owe to others.
Males.—Length, 18 to 20; expanse, 29 to 3 1 ; wing, g '9 to
i o ' 5 ; tail C according to development of central feathers), 7^5
to 9-5 ; tarsus (which, even in the fresh bird, it is very hard to
measure), r i to 1*3 ; bill from forehead to tip, 074 to 078.
Females.—Length, 165 to 18 ; expanse, 27 to 28 ; wing, 97
to 9 9 ; tail, 7-0 to 8-4 ; tarsus, r i ; bill, as before, 072 to 073.
The dimensions of the females are taken from only two
specimens, which were so sexed by the collector, but it has
occurred to me that they may be only young males, which,
however, doubtless agree in plumage with the female.
THE PLATE [male in foreground—female in rear) is a poor
thing ; conveying, if held at some distance, a general conception
of the species, but ill-coloured, the legs and lower surface of
the male being really much whiter; and, in the case of the
female, a sketchy scratch, altogether ignoring all the more
delicate markings and pcncillings of the plumage, so much so
that I think it necessary to append a detailed description.
DESCRIPTION.—Bill and nails bluish horny ; soles whitish.
Plumage, Male.—Lores and forehead whitish, faintly tinged
with buff, and dark shafted ; crown, occiput, and nape white,