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ON THE DISTINCTNESS OF TEOCHALOPTEliUM ELLIOTI 

 Verb, and T. PRJEVALSKIT Mekzb. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



Trochaloptemm ellioti (Yen-., Nohv. Arch, fin Mus., \ i. ]?nll., ji. 3(i, 187(1; Gould, 

 B. Asia, Part xxv., 1873 ; Sliarpe, Cat. Ji., vii., p. 370, 1883 ; David & Oust., Ois. 

 Chine., p. 202, pi. 57, 1877) was originally described from Mnnpin, and one of the 

 discoveries of the faraons Al)be David. 



Troch. jirjcral.thii, described by Menzbier, Jliis, 1887, p. 3Uil, was discovered by 

 General Przcwalski in the nioiiidaiiis of Gansn and on tlie Upper (,'linaiiche. 



Pleske, in 1890, in the valnable volume on the birds in the great work on the 

 scientific results of Przewalski's travels, expressed, on p. 136, his opinion that 

 T. ellioti and T. prjevalskii were the same. He says : " Die Dnrchsicht allcr 

 Exemplare aus der Ausbeute von Przewalski* iiberzengt mich davon, dass P. 

 prjemlakii von Menzbier mit T. ellioti J. Vcrr. zusammengozogen werden mnss. 

 Alle von ihm fiir T . prjevalskii anfgefuhrten Kennzeichen finden sich bei den alten 

 Exemplaren iinserer Saramlnng, wiihrend das Jngendkleid die Kennzeichen von 

 T. ellioti besitzt." 



There is, however, no doubt, in my opinion, that Dr. Pleske was led to a wrong 

 conclusion because he based it on specimens from Gansn alone. 



There is, in the British Museum, a series of perfectly adult specimens of 

 T. ellioti from Monpin and Northern Setchuen, and there are, in the Tring Mnscnni, 

 three perfectly adult specimens procured in Gansu and the province of Anido, 

 north-east of the Kukn-Noor. All the former (2'. ellioti) are easily distinguished 

 by their central rectrices being entirely golden brown, with a greenish reflection, 

 while the latter (7'. prjnaMii) have the central rectrices ashy grey, with a slight 

 wash of greenish brown on the outer webs. Besides, the ujiper and under surface of 

 T. prjetalshii is more greyish and paler than in T. ellioti. 



These differences are obvious at a glance, and (|nite constant in the material 

 before me. and I do not think that the two species can be united after having 

 compared specimens from both localities. There is no reason why they should not 

 be distinct, as the two different countries are separated by lofty mountain ranges. 



A number of eggs were sent witli the skins. They were found in April in 

 Amdo, north-east of the Kuku-Noor. They agree with Pleske's desciiption in the 

 above-mentioned work (of the ornithological jiart of whicli unfortunately very little 

 appeared till now), and measure 24 to 25 : 10 to 20 mm. 



The clutches contained four and five eggs. 



• Spelt tlius— properly, I believe— while in Mcnzbier's article tlic name was spelt a-s above. 



