ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. 



BAND 7. N:o 14. 



Short notes on a coUection of Birds from llus- 

 sian Turkestan. 



By 

 NILS GYLDBNSTOLPB. 



Last autumn Professor Einar Lönnberg succeded in 

 procuring a collection of birds from the Serairjetschensk 

 district in Russian Tiirkestan. By his kindness I was allowed 

 to examine the birds, most of which now belong to the Na- 

 tural History Museum of Stockholm. 



The Semirjetschensk district is situated on the boundary 

 between Russian and Chinese Turkestan, countries which are 

 partly separated from each other by the Tian Shan moun- 

 tains. Reaghing in their central parts to a heiglit of more 

 than 7000 m., on account of their immense quantity of snow 

 they make a bad obstacle to the bird-immigrants coming 

 from north or south. The birds found in Tian Shan are 

 mostly typical Central-Asiatic forms. Especially for the 

 southern immigrants it is rather difficult to extend north of 

 Tian Shan on account of their having at first to cross the 

 great deserts in Chinese Turkestan and then to pass the 

 southern slopes of Tian Shan, which, however, are lower than 

 the northern ones. 



As is well known Tian Shan consists of many parallel 

 chains with a south-western to north-eastern direction. In 

 the valleys many rivers are flowing among which Naryn is 

 one of the greatest. On the southern side of the great al- 

 pine lake Issyk kul extends Terskei-ala-tau and between this 



Arkiv för zoologi. Band 7. N:o 14. 1 



