Vol. xl.] 136 
Rupisitta neumayer zarudnyi and R. n. rupicola Buturlin, 
Trav. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes, Petrograd, xliv. p. 158. 
Buturlin definitely states (1916, p.165) that his S. syriaca 
parva is synonymous with S. rupicola Blanford. Blanford 
distinguished this species mainly by its smailer size, and 
gives as type-locality “habitat in montibus Persicis pre- 
sertim in Elburz,” and then goes on to say that his small 
species ranges as far south as Shiraz, but that the southern 
specimens were paler. We now have to modify his state- 
ment, the facts of which are absolutely correct, and say that . 
in 8.W. Persia the actual race described by Blanford is 
replaced by a paler subspecies, S. r. tschitscherint. 
There is one “type” at Tring collected by Blanford in 
the Karij Valley, Elburz Mts., on 9th ef August, 1878, and 
a second specimen in the British Museum collected in the 
same place a week later, and marked “ type” in Dr. Gadow’s 
handwriting. I regard the Tring specimen as the type, as 
on its label is a note that it was the actual specimen figured. 
Neither of these specimens is fully adult. There are also in 
the British Museum four adult males collected by Woosnam, 
three from the Hlburz and one from the Tortum R., between 
Trebizond and Erzrum, in Asiatic Turkey, and 2 g, 2 2 
collected by Danford in the Taurus, the terra typica of 
“ Sitta zarudnyi” of Buturlin. I find it impossible to 
separate these last from the Elburz specimens, by any of the 
colour-differences mentioned by Buturlin: measurements 
are also identical (below). It is curious that two of the 
synonyms of this subspecies are given to it by the indus- 
trious Buturlin. In colour this race is identical with the 
large S. neumayer obscura, which inhabits for the most part 
the same area. Its measurements are as follows :— 
Sex. Date. Place. Wing. Culm. Collector. 
vate 9.8.73. Karij Valley. 71:5 19°5 Blanford (Tring type). 
2dimm. 16.8.78. Elburz. 75 20 »  (B.M: type). 
3g. Apr./May’07.. Elburz. 79-80 18-19 Woosnam, 
1d. July 06. TortumR. 82 20 ‘3 
23,29. July. Taurus. 75-80 18-21 Danford (“S, zarudnyi”). 
