400 Mr. H. J. Elwes on a new Crossoptilon. 



reflections on the central four or five pairs. Tarsi strong, 

 4 inches long, with stout spurs. Middle toe, with claw, 3 

 inches long. Legs and feet vermilion-red. 



Hah. Eastern Tibet, about 150 miles east of Lhasa 

 {Harman) . 



This species i-esembles the figure of C. auritum, Pall., 

 given in Elliot's ' Phasianidse/ in its general coloration and 

 markings. It may, however, be easily distinguished by the 

 tail — which has no white in the centre of the lateral feathers, 

 and is quite diflFerently coloured. The type of C. auritum, 

 according to Elliot, is lost ; it is, however, described by Pallas 

 as having eighteen tail-feathers. Mr. Elliot's plate is taken 

 from specimens collected by the Abbe Armand David in the 

 provinces of Shensi and Kokonor, and originally described as 

 C, ccerulescens, David ('Comptes Rendus, Ixx. p. 538, 1870). 

 The figure shows twenty tail-feathers, as is the case with my 

 bird ; but whether the specie's collected by David is really C. 

 auritum, Pall., or not, my bird is clearly distinct from both 

 of them, so far as can be ascertained without seeing the 

 specimens themselves. 



For this fine species I am indebted to Lieut. Harman, R.E., 

 who has distinguished himself as a surveyor and explorer of 

 the Eastern Himalayas, especially in Sikkim, where he has 

 been employed for some years. When at Darjeeling in De- 

 cember last, I saw the skin of what I at once recognized as 

 a new Crossoptilon hanging on the wall of his room. Un- 

 fortunately it had never been properly preserved, and was in 

 such a terribly moth-eaten state that the remains, which he 

 kindly presented to me, and which are now in the British 

 Museum, are hardly worth preserving. They have, however, 

 proved sufficient for Mr. Keulemans to make a very accurate 

 drawing, the only fault of which is that the ear-coverts do 

 not seem in the specimen to be so strongly developed as in 

 the figure. 



The skin was brought to Mr. Harman by one of his native 

 surveyors, who said that he had procured it 150 miles east of 

 Lhasa, at an elevation of about 6000 feet, where it was found 

 in flocks during winter. This part of Tibet has never been 



