l8 ALLEN S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Thus in the past year, in December, it had been obtained as 

 high as Goolbah, a village some thirty miles up Samarkand. 

 It is to be hoped that in a couple of years this species may be 

 common on the Russian Zarafshan. On the other hand, P, 

 mo7igolicus (turned out in 1881-83) ^^s nearly disappeared in 

 Pagbeet ; in the past year there has been obtained but one 

 specimen of this species (November, 1890, Lake Doort-Kul), 

 which tends to prove that it is being crowded out by the 

 aboriginal species. 



" The Pheasant of the Zarafshan has a mode of life totally 

 differing from its other Asiatic brethren, owing to the high 

 state of cultivation of the Zarafshan Valley; it breeds and 

 nests in reed swamps and marshes bordering on this stream, 

 and takes its food from the neighbouring fields and gardens. 

 The best time for obtaining it is just before sunrise, when it 

 may be found congregated in the reed swamps mentioned 

 above. Mr. Klossovski shot in November, 1890, a hen of this 

 species in male plumage." 



The account given by Lieutenant Tarnovski of the habits of 

 this bird closely agrees with Dr. Aitchison's account of the 

 habits of P. pri?icipalis given above, and there can be no doubt 

 that the present species is in every way closely allied to it. 



V. SHAW'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS SHAWL 



Phasiamis shawi, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 403; id. Monogr. 

 Phasian. ii. pi. i. (1872) ; Scully, Stray Feathers, iv. p. 179 

 (1876) ; Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 35 (1876) ; Sharpe, Second 

 Yarkand Miss. Aves, p. 120 (i 891) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 326 (1893). 

 Phasiamis i?isignis, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870^ p. 404; id. Monogr. 

 Phasian. ii. pi. iii. (1872). 

 Adult Male. — May be distinguished from P. cokhiais by 

 having the lesser and median wing-coverts white or ivhitish- 

 btiff; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts orange- 

 bronze with greenish and purplish reflections, the feathers of 



