Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/99

Rh Distribution. The Himalayas from the extreme N.W., Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan into Tibet. Its distribution still requires a considerable amount of consideration as it seems to overlap in many places with the next.

Nidification. Hume took its nest with young in May near Simla, 6,500 feet, and Mr. A. E. Jones found a nest with young and one addled egg in April in the same district, whilst Whymper took nest and eggs in Garhwal 16.5.06 at 10,500 feet. The nests are described as being like neat Crows' nests but with a thick lining of fir-needles and grass. Two clutches of eggs were obtained for me in Tibet on 30.4.20, both of which were second layings after the first had been destroyed. The two clutches contained three and four eggs, but all were unfortunately broken except one. This, and the eggs taken by Messrs. Jones and Whymper are similar in character to those of the European bird, except that they are duller pale sea-green in colour and have much larger blotches of olive-sienna and neutral tint.

My egg measures 35⋅0 x 26⋅0 mm.

Habits. This bird keeps much to forests of pine, cedar and fir between 3,000 and 12,000 feet, and subsists largely on the seeds of these trees; but they also eat other seeds and fruits as well as insects. Though not regularly gregarious, they are said sometimes to collect in small parties. Their notes are harsh and loud.


 * Nucifraga multipunctata Gould, P.Z.S., 1849, p. 23 (N.W. Himalayas); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 41.

Vernacular names. Khak-kharra (Pushtu); Tong-she-sha-ga (Tibetan).

Description. Differs from the Himalayan Nutcracker in being darker, a chocolate rather than an umber-brown, and in being much more profusely marked with white. The lores and narial bristles are white or black and white; the rump and upper tail-coverts have a white spot on each feather; the wing-coverts and quills are