RAMS REGULEID AS 3 
Coloration. Sexes dissimilar. Adult males have the crown feathers reddish walnut- 
brown tipped with greyish, the mantle olive grey or greyish sand colour, the feathers of the 
rump, throat, foreneck and sides bright vinaceous with long pale blue tips. Wings dusky with 
pale brown edges, Rectrices blackish, exteriorly edged with greenish blue, the lateral pair 
with outer web buffy white, Frontal band and broad superciliary stripe delicate creamy buff. 
In the females the crown is duller reddish, the mantle paler grey, the rump less extensively 
vinaceous and blue, the sides of the head pale greyish, the under parts greyish white, more 
buffy on abdomen, with a limited patch of pale vinaceous on flanks, Wing 49-52, tail 51-56 mm. 
Geographical Distribution. Central Asia, from Turkestan and Gilgit to Western China. 
Habits. The species of Leftopoectle are inhabitants of mountains at elevations of from 
3000 to 14,000 feet, living in bushes, thickets etc. A nest found by Przewalski stood about 
7 feet above the ground and was constructed of mosses and sheep-wool, lined inside with 
soft feathers of Crossoptilon. The clutch consists of five eggs, which are white speckled and 
spotted with dark reddish brown, resembling those of the Chiff-chaff (Phylloscopus collybita 
Vieillot). 
KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OF LEPTOPOECILE 
1. Feathers of throat, chest und sides bright vinaceous with long light blue tips. 
Rectrices blackish with aistumoredges of greenish Ole) 5 4 8) ee 2) ee eee 
— Throat, foreneck and sides dingy or pale greyish buff, lower flanks with only 
@ limited patch of pale vinaceous. Rectrices greyish brow, edged with 
greyisivoiue (QL©) > WON Se hitae rd Wee acy ven Stee 
2. Middle of lower breast and abdomen deep buff strongly contrasted with colour 
of chest and sides, which avevinaceous mixed with paleblue 4 4). 44 4 ee ee 
— Lower parts nearly uniform coppery vinaceous with pale blue tips to the 
feathers ; if anything, but a narrow line along centre of abdomen buff. . 3. L. SOPHIA OBSCURA GO. 
3), JHA GT OIG IG) 5 oe oe 8 8 be lo a ol fk Me ky, COE Gopi GG 
— Back paler, greyish sand colour 2. L. SOPHIE DESERTICOLA tf. 
4. Back greyish sand colour 2. L. SOPHIE DESERTICOLA Q. 
—— back Weht ovey shaded whole. 2 2 9 4) 3 Le Sornme)sopnra OF 
— Back dark olive grey . 
U2 
= 
. SOPHIZ OBSCURA Q. 
1. Leptopoecile sophiz sophiz Severtzow. (Plate, Figs. 1, la.) 
Leptopoecile sophiae Severtzow, Izv. Obshch. Moskov. Vol. 8, no. 2, p. 135, pl. 8, ff. 8, 9 (6 2) (1873) (Issyk-kul, 
Tian shan); Zeitschr. ges. Ornith. Vol. 4, 1888, p. 99 (transl.). 
Stoliczkana stoliczkae Hume, Stray Feath. Vol. 2, p. 513 (1874) (no exact locality. The types came from the Kara- 
kash-valley, 11,000 to 14,000 feet; type in Brit. Mus. examined). 
Leptopoecile sophtae major Menzbier, The Ibis (5), Vol. 3, p. 353 (1885) («on the Taushkan-Darja about Ush-tur- 
fan»; type in Brit. Mus. examined). 
Fig. Gould, Birds Asia, Vol. 2, 1876, pl. 62 (@), Pleske, Aves Przewalsk. pl. 2, ff. 3(G), 4 (2); Sharpe, 
Res. Second Yarkand Miss. Aves, pl. 8. 
Hab. Turkestan (Dsharkent, Tian shan), East to Kansu, N. W. China, South to Gilgit. Inhabits moun- 
tains at altitudes of from 3000 to 14,000 feet. 
2. Leptopoecile sophiz deserticola Hartert. 
Leptopoectle sophiae deserticola Hartert, Voge. palaarkt. Fauna, Vol. 4, p. 401 (1907) (no type-locality specified. 
Range given as : « Gebirge am Siidrande des Tarim-Beckens und der Wiiste Gobi»; type in Tring Museum 
examined). 
Hab. Mountains south of the Gobi-Desert : Russian Range, Altyn-tagh, Nan-shan, Tsaidam, Naidjin-gol. 
