Notes on the Birds of the Loo-choo Islands. 173 



Phasianus mognolicus. 



The Pheasant wliicli bears this name appears to range from 

 the lower valley of the Syr-Darya, across the basin of Lake 

 Balkash, as far east as Lake Saissan and the valley of the 

 Black Irtish. I ca.n find no evidence of the occurrence in any 

 part of Mongolia of thoroughbred examples of this Pheasant. 



In some respects it is intermediate between P. chrysomelas 

 and P. torquatus, resembling the latter in having a ring 

 round the neck (though it does not quite meet in front), 

 and in having a great deal of green on its rump and upper 

 tail-coverts. It can scarcely be regarded as a cross between 

 the two, as in the colour of its mantle and wing-coverts, and 

 in the pattern of its tail, it agrees with the former, and shows 

 no inclination to approach the latter. 



There can be little doubt, however, that it interbreeds both 

 with P. chrysomelas and P. shaivi. The outlying colony in 

 the basin of Lake Ebi shows so much strain of P. shawi that 

 Severtzow described it as a new species under the name of 

 P. semitorquatus. Examples with traces of a white ring are 

 very common in collections of P. chrysomelas, and far from 

 uncommon in series of P. shawi. 



XVIII. — Notes on the Birds of the Loo-choo Islands. 

 By Henry Seebohm. 



(Plate VII.) 



The Loo-choo, Liu-kiu, or Ryu-kyu Islands lie between 

 Japan and Formosa, and enjoy a climate of remarkable 

 equability. The summer is not too hot to permit the growth 

 of wheat, and the winter is not too cold for the cultivation of 

 sugar-cane and pine-apples. From an ornithological j)oint of 

 view these islands are said to rival Heligoland as a station 

 where migration may be seen on an extended scale. 



By the kind assistance of Mr. H. Pryer, to whom we are 

 indebted for much valuable information respecting the birds 

 of Japan, I am enabled to produce a preliminary list — not of 

 the migrants which pass the Loo-Choo Islands in such count- 



