242 



pale blue-grey, connected with which is a dull darker blue-grey stripe down the side of the neck; 

 entire lower throat and upper breast blue-grey, the feathers tipped with ashy buff, this band on the 

 sides of the neck becoming ashy buff and merging into the hind neck ; fore part of the band irregularly 

 but boldly spotted with black ; rest of the breast to the abdomen ashy buff finely vermiculated with 

 blackish grey, all the feathers dove-blue on the concealed basal portion ; centre of the abdomen sooty 

 slate, gradually fading into dull buff on the crissum and to creamy white on the under tail-coverts ; 

 flank-feathers clear blue-grey on the centre, with a chestnut stripe on each side, and an outside margin 

 of black, some of the feathers on the upper flanks vermiculated like the breast, and those on the lower 

 flanks buffy ash, vermiculated with blackish grey, and margined with buffy chestnut; bill yellowish 

 horn, paler at the base ; nostrils orange-red ; bare space round the eye and patch below the eye 

 brilliant Indian-yellow ; iris dark brown ; legs rich orange-red ; claws dark horn. Total length about 

 26 inches, culmen 1*7, wing ll - 8, tail 8"0, tarsus 2 - 6. 



Adult Female (Giawikeuy, 27th April). Differs from the male in being rather smaller in size and duller in 

 colour; the crown is slightly marked with light buff and dark grey; the stripe on each side of the neck 

 and the band on the lower throat are more buff in tinge, the latter vermiculated with grey, and both 

 mottled with black; soft parts as in the male, but rather duller, the bare patch behind the eye smaller 

 in extent, and the spur on the back of the tarsus is wanting. Total length 22"5-23 inches, culmen T4, 

 wing 10-7, tail 7-2, tarsus 2 - 25. 



As stated in my article on Tetraogallus caucasicus, there has been great confusion as regards the 

 Snow-Partridges, and most authors have erroneously considered the present species to be identical 

 with Tetraogallus caucasicus. First described (I. c.) by Gmelin from Gilan, it was again described 

 and figured by Jardine and Selby (I. c.) from the same locality ; but both descriptions are some- 

 what vague, the latter being taken from a young bird. When Dr. Radde paid me a visit some 

 time ago he assured me that there were two species of Snow-Partridge within the limits of the 

 Western Palsearctic Region; and Dr. Severtzoff also discussed the matter with me when here, 

 and we agreed to try and work the question out ; and Mr. Danford, who was then preparing to 

 undertake a journey through Asia Minor, promised to try and obtain specimens. When Dr. 

 Severtzoff was in Paris he saw in the Paris Museum a Snow-Partridge from Erzeroum, which he 

 at once perceived was neither Tetraogallus caucasicus nor Tetraogallus himalayensis ; and he 

 called the attention of M. Oustalet to it, surmising that it would prove to be the second species 

 supposed to occur in Asia Minor. M. Oustalet, on the strength of what Dr. Severtzoff told him, 

 described the bird as new under the name of Tetraogallus challayii ; but of this I was unaware, 

 as the description was published in a journal which I had not had an opportunity of seeing. 

 When, therefore, Mr. Danford brought back a series of specimens which I failed to identify with 

 either Gmelin's or Jardine and Selby's descriptions, I concluded that it was an undescribed 

 species, and gave it the name of Tetraogallus tauricus ; but subsequently Mr. Danford ascer- 

 tained, by a comparison of his specimens with the bird figured by Jardine and Selby, which is 

 now at Edinburgh, that the birds occurring in Persia and in the Taurus are specifically identical. 

 The correct name of these birds will therefore be Tetraogallus caspius. 



Mr. Danford has just prepared an account of this species for publication in 'The Ibis,' and 

 has kindly permitted me to make use of the same ; I have therefore transcribed it as follows : — 

 "The range" of T. caspius, " though already known to be pretty wide, is not yet fully determined. 



