﻿TSAIDAM 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  vlangalii 
  Przewalski 
  

  

  Names. 
  — 
  Subspecific 
  : 
  vlangalii, 
  after 
  M. 
  E. 
  Vlangali, 
  Russian 
  Ambassador 
  to 
  China. 
  English 
  : 
  Tsaidam 
  

   Pheasant, 
  after 
  the 
  great 
  marshes, 
  the 
  native 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  bird. 
  

  

  Type.— 
  Locality 
  : 
  Tsaidam. 
  Describer 
  : 
  Przewalski. 
  Place 
  of 
  Description: 
  Mongolia, 
  II. 
  pt. 
  ii, 
  1876, 
  

   p. 
  116. 
  

  

  SUBSPECIFIC 
  CHARACTERS. 
  — 
  From 
  elegans 
  on 
  the 
  south, 
  the 
  male 
  bird 
  differs 
  in 
  the 
  mantle 
  and 
  scapulars 
  

   being 
  sandy 
  red, 
  and 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  flanks 
  golden 
  buff, 
  instead 
  of 
  dull 
  orange 
  red 
  with 
  a 
  gloss 
  of 
  purple. 
  In 
  the 
  

   female 
  the 
  upper 
  plumage 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  colchicus, 
  but 
  below, 
  the 
  colour 
  is 
  pale 
  buff. 
  

  

  GEOGRAPHICAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  

  

  Eastern 
  Tsaidam, 
  extending 
  northward 
  to 
  the 
  Koko-nor 
  Mountains 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   outlying 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Tolai-Ula 
  and 
  Burkhan-Budda 
  Ranges. 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  Przewalski 
  writes 
  of 
  the 
  Tsaidam 
  Pheasant 
  : 
  " 
  We 
  found 
  this 
  bird 
  in 
  Tsaidam, 
  where 
  

   it 
  inhabits 
  the 
  cane-groves 
  and 
  bush-covered 
  localities. 
  In 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter 
  it 
  feeds 
  

   principally 
  on 
  berries, 
  which 
  it 
  eats 
  while 
  sitting 
  on 
  the 
  branches, 
  and 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  

   especially 
  is 
  very 
  wild 
  and 
  wary. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  differ 
  in 
  voice 
  from 
  P. 
  torquatus, 
  and 
  

   begins 
  to 
  breed 
  very 
  early 
  in 
  spring. 
  We 
  have 
  heard 
  it 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  the 
  13th 
  of 
  

   February." 
  

  

  SYNONYMY 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  vlangalii 
  Prjewalski, 
  Mongolia, 
  II. 
  pt. 
  ii, 
  1876, 
  p. 
  116; 
  Prjewalski, 
  Rowley's 
  Ornith. 
  Missell., 
  II. 
  

   1877, 
  p. 
  386; 
  Prjewalski, 
  Reisen 
  in 
  Tibet, 
  1885, 
  p. 
  59 
  (Tsaidam); 
  Seebohm, 
  Ibis, 
  1888, 
  p. 
  315; 
  Grant, 
  Cat. 
  Birds 
  

   Brit. 
  Mus., 
  XXII. 
  1893, 
  p. 
  330; 
  Grant, 
  Hand-book 
  Game-birds, 
  II. 
  1897, 
  p. 
  30; 
  Kozlow, 
  Res. 
  I.R.G.S. 
  Exped. 
  

   C. 
  Asia, 
  II. 
  1899, 
  pp. 
  188, 
  218, 
  286 
  ; 
  Sharp, 
  Hand-list 
  Birds, 
  Vol. 
  I. 
  1899, 
  P- 
  3 
  8 
  > 
  Dresser, 
  Manual 
  Palae. 
  Birds, 
  

   l 
  9°Z> 
  P- 
  664; 
  Buturlin, 
  Ibis, 
  1904, 
  p. 
  412. 
  

  

  Phasianus 
  colchicus 
  vlangalii 
  Rothschild, 
  Bull. 
  Brit. 
  Orn. 
  Club, 
  XIV. 
  1904, 
  p. 
  37 
  ; 
  Hartert, 
  Nov. 
  Zool., 
  

   XXIV. 
  1917, 
  p. 
  452. 
  

  

  105 
  

  

  