1888.] MR. H. SEEBOHM ON PHASIANUS SHAWI. 415 



and gather together in hands of some size. They separate by day 

 going two or three together, or soHtarily, into the low bottoms at the 

 back of the streams, feeding on the wild cane and making their way 

 to the little forest-streams and pools, in which they bathe in the 

 water and mud like the Buffaloes. 



" The domestic Buffalo {Buhalus indicus), the only beast of burden 

 here, has escaped from its owners in the island of Mindoro in 

 large numbers, and is now found wild, and is called ' Cimmarone.' 

 The Tamaron and these come in frequent conflict, the Tamaron 

 being said to attack it at first sight, and, though much smaller, being 

 quicker and stronger, to drive the Buffaloes back. The ' Tamaron,' 

 from all I can make out, is nearest to the Anoa of Celebes, and 

 raises a new problem in distribution. If Mr Wallace's generic name 

 stand it might be called Aiwa mindorensis, if not already named, or if 

 that of Reichert is adopted, Probubalus mindorensis." 



Mr. Edgar Thurston, C.M.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks upon 

 a fine series of Corals and other marine animals which he had 

 collected on islands in the Gulf of Manar, Indian Ocean. 



Mr. Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S., exhibited examples of Phasianus 

 shawi collected by General Prejevalski in the upper valley of the 

 Tarim River, and an example of a new species of Phasianus from 

 the shores of Lob-Nor, respecting which he communicated the fol- 

 lowing note by Herr Theodore Pleske : — 



" Amongst the collection of bird-skins which General Prejevalski 

 brought from Lob-Nor is a fine series of a species of Pheasant which 

 he provisionally determined as Phasianus shawi (Prejevalski, " Von 

 Kuldscha iiber der Tian-Schan an der Lob-Noor," Isvest. Imp. Russ. 

 Geogr. Obsch. xiii. p. 275, 18/7). He afterwards described it as a 

 new species under the name of P. tarimensis (Prejevalski, Drittc 

 Reise in Central Asien, aus Saissan liber Chami nach Thibet und 

 an die Quellen des Gelbe Flusses, p. 95. A review of this work, 

 which was published in 1883, will be found in the 'Journal fiir 

 Ornithologie,' 1886, p. 524.) 



"Phasianus tarimensis is very closely allied to P. shawi, but differs 

 from it in two important particulars : 



" a. The wing-coverts are yellowish brown instead of ashy grey ; 



" b. The margins of the feathers of the rump and of the upper 

 tail-coverts are green and buff instead of copper-red. 



" It ranges from Karaschar, in the lower valley of the Tarim River, 

 and the valley of the Tschertsche Darya to the shores of Lob-Nor." 



Mr. Seebohm added the following remarks : — 



" General Prejevalski obtained examples of P. shawi in the valleys 

 of the Aksu-Darya and the Khoten-Darya near their confluence with 

 the middle stream of the Tarim River, and in the oasis of Sa-tschen, 

 which do not differ from those obtained by Dr. Scully near the 

 city of Kashgar. They were originally described by him as P. sat- 

 chenensis, a name subsequently withdrawn in favour of P. insignis, 

 both names being synonyms of P. shawi. 



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