588 Mr. S. A. Buturlin on 



black markings of mantle and 

 flanks witli blue gloss prevailing ; 

 white collar, though narrow, nearly 

 always uninterrupted behind and 

 on sides of the neck (chest- and 

 breast-feathers sometimes with 



dark apical shaft-streaks) zerafshanictis. 



h' . Uppermost part of back differs from the 

 golden parts of the mantle in being 

 strongly suffiised with purple-red, as is 

 the chest (purple-red margins of chest- 

 feathers are 3 mm. (| inch) or more 

 wide) ; general colouring intense, fiery- 

 or orange-golden ; rump coppery red; 

 collar quite absent or slight traces of it. 

 c". Scapulars apically widely margined 

 with black ; purplish colouring less 

 developed, margins on middle of 

 chest about 3 mm. (0"11 inch) broad, tshardjumsis. 

 d" . Scapulars with no or nearly no black 

 margins, only tipped black ; purplish 

 colouring more developed, margins 

 on middle of chest about S^ mm. 



(0'14 inch) broad gordius. 



d'. Chest- and breast-feathers all margined 

 with glossy black, 

 e'. Upper back and breast very widely 

 margined with black, so that on the 

 back black about equals the golden 

 ground-colour ; long flank-feathers are 

 simply if at all emarginated, and all 

 the end of the feather is occupied by 

 a black spot ; dark bars on basal half 

 of middle rectrices narrow, about 2 mm. 

 or less (0"08 inch). 

 e" . Black margins of chest- and breast- 

 feathers narrower, coppery red on 

 breast prevailing over black (in 

 typical specimens belly blackish 

 brown edged above with glossy 

 green ; black markings of mantle 

 and breast with greenish gloss ; in 

 some aberrant specimens* belly 

 chocolate-brown edged above with 



* Geographical limits not yet ascertained, as most labels are not 

 ininute and precise enough. I have seen such specimens from Nukus, 



