While wintering in Yunnan at Nguluko, on the eastern slopes of Likiang Mountain. Chiu-lung-hsien Territory: East of Yalung, 8 days' journey southwest of Tatsienlu (halfway between Muli and Tatsienlu), May 1929.
TETRAOPHASIS SZECHENYII Madarasz
These are the first specimens of this beautiful species to be received by the United States National Museum. The specimens from the Likiang Mountains (four) that I have examined all have the center of the back pure white, while the four specimens from near Tatsienlu, Szechwan have the center of the back washed with a pale neutral gray.
CHRYSOLOPHUS AMHERSTIAE (Leadbeater)
PHASIANUS COLCHICUS ELEGANS Elliot
VANELLUS VANELLUS (Linnaeus)
CHARADRIUS PLACmUS Gray
TOTANUS TOTANUS EURHINUS Oberholser
RHYACOPHILUS GLAREOLA (Linnaeus)
SPHENURUS SPHENURUS YUNNANENSIS (LaTouche)
AKT. 7 BIKDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA EILEY 15
- OENOPOPELIA TRANQUEBARICA HUMILIS (Temminck)
- COLUMBA RUPESTRIS AUSTRIMA Riley
- CUCULUS CANORUS BAKERI Hartert
- GUCULUS OPTATUS Gould
- CACOMANTIS MERULINUS QUERULUS Heine
- CHALCITES MACULATUS MACULATUS (Gmelin)
- COLLOCALIA LOWI PELLOS Thayer and Bangs
- mRUNDAPUS NUDIPES (Hodgson)
- HYPOPICUS HYPERYTHRUS HYPERYTHRUS (Vigors)
- DRYOBATES MAJOR STRESEMANNI Rensch
- CALANDRELLA BRACHYDACTYLA DUKHUNENSIS (Sykes)
- ALAUDA GULGULA COELIVOX Swinhoe
When the above race was described I overlooked the comparison with Goluniba taczanowskii Stejneger.® The latter was based on. Two males from the mouth of the Yangtze have wings measuring 100 and 100.5 mm; one male from Yochow, Hunan, has a wing of 99 mm.; measured the wings of five males from southern Sichuan.
AKT. 7 BIEDS FEOM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 25 Specimens from the mountains of western China are somewhat
- NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES MACELLA Thayer and Bangs
- PYKRHOCORAX PYRRHOCORAX HIMALAYANUS (Gould)
- UROCISSA ERYTHRORHYNCHA ERYTKRORHYNCHA (Boddaert)
- COLOEUS DAUURICUS KHAMENSIS Bianchi
This series, compared to a series by Fukien and Chekiang, substantiates the comments made earlier. The western birds are on average grayer on the mantle. Some specimens, apparently adults, taken in winter, are redder than others, and the grayish tinge on the mantle is almost absent.
ART. 7 BIEDS FEOM YUNISTAN AND SZECHWAIST, CHIISTA EILEY 27
- CONOSTOMA AEMODIUM AEMODIUM Hodgson
- SUTHORA UNICOLOR CANASTER Thayer and Bangs
- SUTHORA FULVIFRONS CYANOPHRYS David
- AEGITHALOS GLAUCOGULARIS VINACEA (Verreaux)
- PERIPARUS RUFONUCHALIS BEAVANI (Jerdon)
- PERIPARUS ATER AEMODIUS (Hodgson)
- LOPHOPHANES DICHROUS WELLSI (Baker)
- PARUS MAJOR TIBETANUS Hartert
- PARUS MONTICOLUS YUNNANENSIS LaTouche
Bangs and Peters -^ record this race from the mountains of Kansu and Tebbuland, so that it appears to be the resident race of the high mountains of western China as far south as northern Yunnan, and also occurring in northern China. The fine streak of unripe in the current collection confirms mine. Doubtful previous action in assigning a single specimen of this feather to the present si)ecies.^° The immature feather differs from.
ART. 7 BIEDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 33
Similar to Oarrulax albogularis albofjularis, but much paler above, the forehead more strongly and extensively tinged with brownish ; cinnamon-bufE lighter chest; pectoral girdle lighter brownish olive.
ART. 7 BIRDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA KILEY 35
Two females from Mt Mitzuga are evidently birds of the year in nearly mature plumage; their bills are remarkably short, 23 and 24. Specimens taken in winter are even much darker than birds collected in early spring. The winter taken birds in the above series are dark like winter taken specimens from Szechwan.
Muli, April) ; four males and four females, north-west Yunnan (Liki- .. hlythi before me as I had previously. available,*'^ the only constant difference between it and T. seems to be the absence of a gray patch on the sides of the neck Similar to Fulvetta 7Hficapilla sordidiar, but pileum deep brownish gray instead of light mars brown; around eye not whitish; inner primaries and outer secondaries bordered basally outside with rickets brown instead of Sudan brown; hind and base of rectrices much lighter brown. This may be Fulvetta manipurensis Grant from Manipur, although judging by the inadequate description of the original describer and Stuart Baker (Fauna.
ART. 7 BIRDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 45
This series averages slightly darker compared to a small series taken at the same time of year further north in Szechwan, but there are individual specimens that appear to be the same. None of the above series are as dark as you would expect from his comments. In the above series all phases of plumage are represented, except completely black.
Three of the specimens are dark neutral above, the pile is glossy black, the underside is much lighter gray than the back, center of the chest and belly with white markings on the feathers forming a line; two of the specimens grow a few white feathers on the forehead. All three are apparently immature, as they assume the first adult plumage; the two with white on the forehead taken in May, the other in September. All three are molting into black plumage above; one in black plumage underneath, but another in a.
ART. 7 BIEDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 47
This was originally assigned to Spelaeornis souliei which probably represented a new feather.*^^ Later Doctor Rock sent the female from west of Yungning, which, though differing from the type in minor details, apparently belongs to the same species . Pileum argus brown, each feather rather broadly tipped with black and with a rather large subapical white patch; upperparts sudan brown, each feather narrowly barred with black and with a small triangular patch of white-buffy; cheeks and sides of neck slightly lighter than back, with bare shaft lines, skins narrowly tipped black; feathers around the eye white behind the throat and throat white; breast, sides and wings ochraceous-chestnut, breast and ventral fins with rather broad white shaft lines and rather narrow black tips; wings with several narrow white shaft lines, lower tail-coverts slightly darker than wings, each feather with a white submapical stripe and black tip; mouse deep gray wing coverts with a brown wash with some white shaft lines and barred with black; flight feathers snuff brown, rather broad white with black; snuff tail brown with narrow, irregular black bars; upper mandible fuscous-black; lower mandibular goat (on the skin). Comparing Spelaeornis rocki with Hartert's type figure of Spelaeornis souliei, the former is lighter above with the black apical spots more prominent; the wings are lighter and the apical black spots smaller; and the white of the throat extends down to.
It seems strange that this species should occur so close to the type locality /Spelaeornis souliei. These two specimens agree well with a male from Choni, Kansu, and a female from Kokonor near Radja. Kansu and Szechwan specimens differ from three males and one female from Kashmir in being darker above, especially on the head; the throat is darker; and the breast is a deeper yellowish brown.
However, this must be exceptional, because I am not aware that the range of the two. It is darker above and below, but this may be due to the different season of the year in which it was obtained. BradyiJterus plwenioaroides Gray, Catalog of specimens of Mammalia and Birds of Nepal and Thibet, presented by B.
Two of the specimens mentioned above as females are much darker above and below than the two which are undoubtedly females. Ruticilla schUticeps Gray, Catalog of the Specimens of Mainmalla and Birds of Nepal and Tibet, presented by B. Hodgson to the British Museum. They are certainly very close, if not identical, to some of the Chinese specifications.
ART. 7 BIEDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA EILEY 67
Two males and one female from southwestern Szechwan (Mount Mitzuga, 13,000 feet, Muli, June; forests of Shaya, northeast of Muli, July; forests above Baude, 12,500 feet, northeast of Muli, July);. Six mature males, one mature female and two immature males, southwest Szechwan (Mount Mitzuga, 13,000 feet, Muli, June; forests of Djishi, 11,000 feet, northeast of Muli, Yalung watershed, July; May; Likiang Mountains , October); one male from southwestern Szechwan (Djishigotong, Yalung River Watershed, northeast of Muli, 12,500 ft., July).
7 BIRDS FEOM YUNNAN" AND SZECHWAN, CHINA – RILEY 69 The United States National Museum contains specimens of this. The United States National Museum contains specimens of this breed as far away as Sungpan, Szechwan. One adult male, Mount Mitzuga, 15,000 feet, Muli , June; an adult male, an immature male and two immature females, Mount Konka. A male and a sexless specimen, taken near Kiating, Szechwan, in worn breeding plumage, on 2 and 27 June, are in the National Museum of the United States .
ART. 7 BIEDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECH WAN, CHINA EILEY 71
A single specimen from Ndamuch, Yunnan, although labeled as a male, is probably a female, as the bill is quite small, measuring 14 mm. Four males, one female and one unsexed, Yunnan (Likiang Mountains, January-February, September and 8 May); five adult males, two adult females and three juveniles, southwestern Szechwan (Mt. Mitzuga, 12,000 feet, Muli, June; Djishi, 11,000 feet, Yalung Basin, July; Muli-Yunnan border, 11,000 feet, August;. Breast feathers becoming slightly orange colored, and the lower part of the mandible is chamois for about two-thirds of its length.
A male, southwestern Szechwan (back of Mount Mitzuga, 13,000 feet, Muli, June); two males and four females. An adult male, Likiang Mountains, 10,000 feet, Yunnan, January-February; and an adult female, Mount Mitzuga, 13,000 ft., Muli, southwestern Szechwan, June.
ART. 7 BIEDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 75
This brings a complication in the name for the southern form, called for Oustalet Garpodacus duhius var. that his type was merely a migrant from further north. Males captured in winter are more of an old rose below without the crimson color observable in breeding males, and the silvery-pink shank lines of the throat are greatly reduced by wear until they almost completely disappear in July birds. This makes it necessary to use specimens taken in approximately the same season or season. state of wear and tear in comparing the various supposed geographical forms.
The Szechwan males have slightly larger bills, and the plumes over the nostrils are whitish; the same color as the forehead (garnet purple) in the Kansu male. Pyr- rhospiza punicea longlrostrls has been described from northwestern Kansu, the only definite place mentioned in the translation of Przewalski *^ being Gadjur, a mountain near the Tatung, northeast of Sining. Bianchi"" limits its range to the mountains of northeastern Tibet and the Sining Mountains, eastern Nanshan (Tetung Mountains).
ART. 7 BIRDS FROM YUNNAN AND SZECHWAN, CHINA RILEY 79
80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.80. west of Waerhdje, August); one male and one female, Likiang Mountains, 12,500 feet, Yunnan, January. However, it has the same long wingtip, bulging tail and other characteristics of the genus. Hellmayr,^- the latest author who has examined the races of Leucosticte hrandti^ makes the present bird only a race of that species, but it is so much darker in every respect that it seems to me to be made a form.
May; one female and one unsexed, south foot of Druduron Pass, 14,500 feet, May; two females. Thirteen adults, both sexes, from north-west Yunnan (Likiang Mountains, January-February, September, October and November), one immature male in streaked plumage from south-west Szech. Four males and two females from northwestern Yunnan (Likiang Mountains, 10,000 feet, January-February; Yungning Mountains, November-December).
INDEX
ABT. 7 INDEX 85
ART. 7 INDEX 87
90 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM VOL. S9 Ruticilla hodgsoni, 57
ABT. 7 INDEX 91
