On neiv Species of Central- Asian Birds. 401 



XL. — On new Species of Central-Asian Birds. By General 

 N. M. Prjevalsky*. (Translated from tlie Russian by 

 E. Delmar Morgan.) 



Since the publication in 1876 of ' Materials for the Avi- 

 fauna of Mongolia and the Tangatan country ' f, containing 

 my ornithological observations during my first journey in 

 Central Asia, I have accomplished three more journeys in 

 that country. One of the chief objects of my special investi- 

 gations during these Explorations was, asbefore^ ornithology, 

 and a mass of observations was obtained on the birds of 

 this wide and almost unknown tract of Asia, where I found 

 altogether 430 species. 



The periodical repetition of my journeys, the preparation 

 of geographical reports, and other occupations have prevented 

 my undertaking the special elaboration of the materials col- 

 lected, and have obliged me to defer this work to a more 

 favourable opportunity. Even now I can only describe the 

 new species of birds found during my second, third, and fourth 

 journeys. Of these there were nine; but it is very possible 

 that upon a more careful study of the materials collected 

 some more novelties which escaped notice on the hurried 

 glance through the collection may be found. The new species 

 of birds found on my first journey numbered twenty, which 

 were described in the above-mentioned work. On all four 

 journeys about 5000 specimens of birds were collected, and 

 these have been transferred to the Museum of the Imperial 

 Academy of Science. 



I deem it my duty to express my sincere acknowledgments 

 to the learned Curator of the Zoological Museum of the Im- 

 perial Academy of Science, F. D. Pleske, for his obliging 

 assistance in the present work. 



* [Read at a Meeting of the Pliysico-Matliematical Section of the Im- 

 perial Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, on the 13th January, 1887. 

 We are much indebted to Mr. Delmar Morgan for enabling us to give 

 this early account of so many novelties. — Edd.] 



t [The ornithological part of General Prjevalsky's first work on Mon- 

 golia was translated by Mr. Carl Oraemers for Rowley's ' Ornitholo- 

 gical Miscellany,' vol. ii. — E.D.M.] 



SER. V. VOL. V. 2 F 



