7'are Palcearctic Birds. 301 



Gecinds zARUDNoi, sp. nov. 



In the Bull, des Nat. de Moscou, 1886, No. 2, T published 

 a description of a new species of Woodpecker, Gecinus flavi- 

 rostris, received from my friend Mr. Zarudnoi. Since that 

 notice was issued I have received the typical specimens of 

 this interesting bird and find that it is a near ally of 

 G. sqimmatus of the Himalayas, of which a specimen is 

 before me for comparison. Now, after receiving ' The Ibis ' 

 for January 1887, I find that our bird has been also described 

 by Mr. Hargitt under the name G. gorii. Without doubt 

 the last name must be considered a synonym, the specific name 

 proposed for this bird by Mr. Zarudnoi having a priority of 

 some months. But unfortunately the specific name G. 

 flavirostris cannot stand for Zarudnoi^s Woodpecker, this 

 name having been previously given to another Woodpecker 

 (G. flavirostris, Verr., from Khukhu-nor). I therefore 

 propose that Zarudnoi's Woodpecker should be known as 

 G. zarudnoi, that gentleman having been the first to publish 

 this Afghan sj)ecies as new to science*. 



It is seldom that the history of a bird is so brilliant as in 

 the case of this Afghan species, which is so fortunate as to 

 have received three names in the course of four months. 



Phasianus principalis, Sclater. 



Two species of true Pheasants have been lately established 

 as new to science — Ph. principalis, Sclater, from the Bala 

 Murghab, Northern Afghanistan^ and Ph. komarowi, Bgdn., 

 from Aschabad. Since I received both the descrip- 

 tions, I have had an opportunity of comparing the typical 

 specimen of Ph. komarowi with birds from Bala Murghab, 

 and after a careful comparison I find that they are the 

 same. Ph. principalis having been established a month 

 before Ph. komarowi, the latter name must become a syno- 

 nym. The geographical range of this Pheasant is as follows. 

 It is very common throughout the country about the rivers 

 Murghab, Tedshent, and Dushak, also in the district of 

 Kaakuk, and along the rivers running from the mountains 



* [Under these circumstances, in our opinion, Mr. Hargitt's name 

 G. gorii should stand. — Edd.] 



