﻿RION 
  CAUCASIAN 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  colchicus 
  Linne 
  

  

  Names. 
  — 
  Subspecifk 
  : 
  colchicus, 
  from 
  the 
  region 
  Colchis, 
  now 
  Mingrelia, 
  in 
  Western 
  Transcaucasia. 
  

   English 
  : 
  Rion 
  Pheasant. 
  

  

  Type. 
  — 
  Locality: 
  "in 
  Africa, 
  Asia." 
  Describer 
  : 
  Linnaeus. 
  Place 
  of 
  Description 
  : 
  Systema 
  Naturae, 
  1758, 
  

   p. 
  158. 
  Present 
  Location 
  of 
  Type 
  : 
  Unknown. 
  

  

  SUBSPECIFIC 
  CHARACTERS. 
  — 
  The 
  abdomen 
  is 
  blackish 
  brown 
  or 
  dark 
  chocolate, 
  and 
  a 
  blue 
  or 
  violet 
  gloss 
  is 
  

   dominant 
  on 
  the 
  black 
  markings 
  of 
  the 
  mantle 
  and 
  breast 
  ; 
  the 
  bird 
  on 
  the 
  whole 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  somewhat 
  darker, 
  more 
  

   coppery 
  red. 
  

  

  GEOGRAPHICAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  

  

  Transcaucasia, 
  including 
  the 
  basins 
  of 
  the 
  Rion 
  and 
  the 
  Chorokh 
  Rivers 
  and 
  the 
  

   south-eastern 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  Black 
  Sea, 
  north 
  to 
  Sukhum-kale, 
  just 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  east 
  

   and 
  west 
  chain 
  of 
  the 
  Caucasus 
  Mountains 
  ; 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  Kura 
  and 
  lower 
  Araxes 
  and 
  

   their 
  tributaries 
  up 
  to 
  nearly 
  three 
  thousand 
  feet 
  above 
  sea 
  level. 
  It 
  touches 
  the 
  Caspian 
  

   Sea 
  at 
  the 
  Kizil-Agatch 
  Gulf. 
  

  

  SYNONYMY 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  Linnaeus, 
  Systema 
  Natura, 
  1758, 
  p. 
  158 
  (Habitat 
  in 
  Africa, 
  Asia); 
  Linnaeus, 
  Systema 
  

   Natura, 
  1766, 
  p. 
  271 
  ; 
  Grant, 
  Cat. 
  Birds 
  Brit. 
  Mus. 
  XXII. 
  1893, 
  p. 
  320 
  (partim, 
  cum 
  subsp: 
  septentrionalis) 
  ; 
  Grant, 
  

   Hand-book 
  Game-birds, 
  1897, 
  Vol. 
  II, 
  p. 
  9 
  (partim, 
  cum 
  subsp. 
  septentrionalis); 
  Dresser, 
  Manual 
  Palae. 
  Birds, 
  II. 
  

   1903, 
  p. 
  658 
  (partim, 
  cum 
  subsp. 
  septentrionalis) 
  ; 
  Buturlin, 
  Ibis, 
  1904, 
  p. 
  385 
  (Western 
  Transcaucasia). 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  talischensis 
  Grant, 
  Cat. 
  Birds 
  Brit. 
  Mus. 
  XXII. 
  1893, 
  p. 
  324 
  (Alazan 
  River; 
  partim, 
  cum 
  P, 
  

   talischensis) 
  ; 
  Dresser, 
  Manual 
  Palae. 
  Birds, 
  II. 
  1903, 
  p. 
  660 
  (partim). 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  lorenzi 
  Buturlin, 
  Ibis, 
  1904, 
  p. 
  386 
  (Central 
  and 
  Eastern 
  Transcaucasia) 
  ; 
  Buturlin, 
  Ibis, 
  

   1908, 
  pp. 
  584, 
  586 
  ; 
  Zarudny, 
  Journ. 
  fur 
  Orn. 
  50, 
  191 
  1, 
  p. 
  204 
  (N.W. 
  Persia). 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  colchicus 
  Rothschild, 
  Bull. 
  Brit. 
  Orn. 
  Club, 
  XIV. 
  1904, 
  p.37 
  ; 
  Jourdain, 
  Ibis. 
  (9), 
  VI. 
  1912, 
  

   p. 
  327 
  ; 
  Hartert, 
  Nov. 
  Zool. 
  XXIV. 
  1917, 
  p. 
  449. 
  

  

  81 
  

  

  