Vol. 5, p. 293. June 14^ 1930. 



Occasional Papers 



OF THE 



Boston Society of Natural History. 



A NEW RACE OF POMATORHINUS RUFICOLLIS FROM 

 SOUTH CENTRAL SZECHUAN. 



BY OUTRAM BANGS. 



The collection of birds made in Yunnan and Szechuan by 

 Herbert Stevens while with the Kelley-Roosevelt Expedition, 

 was intrusted to me for identification by the authorities of the 

 Field Museum of Natural History. I have now finished with 

 the collection and have written an annotated list of it, which will 

 be published at some future time. 



But one new form was found among Steven's birds. This is a 

 race of the very plastic Pomatorhinus ruficollis of which a number 

 of Chinese forms have already been named. From all of those 

 the present chestnut backed bird of south central Szechuan 

 seems quite distinct. It may be known as 



Pomatorhinus ruficollis eidos, subsp. no v. 



Six specimens taken from Omei-shan, Shi-sha-shii and Sui-fu, Szechuan in 

 October, 1929. 



Type. — Field Museum of Natural History, Stevens's original no. 1076; adult 

 male. From Omei-shan, south central Szechuan, collected by H. Stevens, 

 October 4, 1929. 



Characters. — Most nearly like P. r. styani Seebohm of the lower Yangtse 

 Valley from Hupeh down stream and like that form with brown (not reddish) 

 stripes below, the striping however, in the new form is a little stronger and 

 darker. Differing from styani in the much deeper more chestnut color of the 

 upper parts, the whole upper back in the new form being strong chestnut, 

 paling out only on the rump. In styani there is a neck bank of pale chestnut, 

 the remaining upper parts being reddish olive to pale olivaceous chestnut 

 in marked contrast. Bill as in styani. Wing, 71, 72, 74, 75, 78, 79 mm. 



293 



