Ornithology of Siberia. 425 



Tetraogallus himalayensis. 



I have a fine example from Samarcand. 



Pterocles arenaria. 



I have two examples from Samarcand. 



Syrrhaptes paradoxus. 



I have two examples from Samarcand. 



Charadrius veredus, 



I have an example from Samarcand. The axillaries are 

 grey, but the tarsus only measures 1*65 inch, whilst in two 

 examples from Shanghai it measures respectively 1'7 and 1*88. 



Charadrius vanellus. 



I have an example of the Lapwing from Samarcand. 



Charadrius gregarius. 



I have four examples of the Sociable Plover from Sa- 

 marcand. 



Phalaropus hyperborbus. 



I have two skins of the Red-necked Phalarope in winter 

 plumage from Samarcand. 



It would seem that the more we know of Siberian birds 

 the greater number of easily recognizable Siberian forms 

 present themselves, and many of Pallas^s names, which have 

 been consigned for half a century to the limbo of synonyms, 

 will have to be revived. Though the 'Zoographia Rosso- 

 Asiatica' was published in 1811, the first edition was almost 

 entirely destroyed by fire, and this valuable work remained 

 practically unknown to European ornithologists until the 

 reprint in 1831. Since then modern ornithologists have 

 treated Pallas's names with scant courtesy. In some cases, 

 where they have had an opportunity of comparing examples 

 from Siberia with skins from Western Europe, they have 

 admitted the validity of his species ; but in other cases, where 

 they have had access to East-European skins, the existence 

 of intermediate forms has been alleged as a reason for 

 ignoring them, and Siberian forms have too often been 

 passed by with a contemptuous sneer, as beneath the notice 



