30 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY. 



height of 10,000 feet. It appears to be most numerous in 

 the Tetunga and Buguk-gol valleys, but higher up these rivers, 

 where woods are scarce, it disappears. 



*' In voice and habits it does not differ from P. torquatus and 

 P. vlangalii. The breeding-season commences in April or 

 March, and lasts until the middle of July. The earliest young 

 we obtained on the 23rd of June. The number of young 

 averages from six to ten, and sometimes even twelve ; they are 

 always accompanied by both parents ; and very often the male 

 bird defends the young even more vigorously than the female." 



XIV. VLANGALI'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS VLANGALII. 



Phasianus vlangalii, Prjevalsky, Mongol, ii. pt. 2, p. 116, pi 

 xvi. (1876); id. in Rowley's Orn. I^Iisc. ii. p. ^Z^i 

 (1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. :^Ius. xxii. p. 330 

 (1893). 



Adult Male. — T^Iay be distinguished from P. elegans by hav- 

 ing the general colour of the mantle and scapulars saiidy-red, 

 and the sides and flanks golden-buff instead of dull orange-red 

 glossed with purple ; from P. strauchi it differs in having the 

 colour of the chest dark green. Total length, 31-5 inches; 

 wing, 9-5; tail, 17*5; tarsus, 2-6. 



Adult Female. — Upper-parts like those of P. colchicus, but the 

 predominating colour is pale buff and the black markings are 

 much fainter; throat pure white; under-parts whitish-buff with 

 faint brown cross-bars. Total length, 22-5 inches; wing, 8*2; 

 tail, II ; tarsus, 2-4. 



Range. — Tsaidam marshes, extending north to the Koko-nor 

 Mountains. 



HaMts. — Concerning this species, Prjevalsky remarks : — " We 

 found this bird in Tsaidam, where it inhabits the cane-groves 

 and bush-covered localities. In autumn and winter it feeds 

 principally on berries, which it eats while sitting on the 

 branches, and at that time especially is very wild and wary. 



