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Show 1888.] MR. H. S E E B O H M O N P H A S I A N U S S H A W I . 415 and gather together in bands of some size. They separate by day going two or three together, or solitarily, into the low bottoms at the back of the streams, feeding on the wild cane and making their way to the little forest-streams and pools, in which they bathe in the water and mud like the Buffaloes. " The domestic Buffalo (Bubalus indicus), the only beast of burden here, has escaped from its owners in the island of Mindoro in large numbers, and is now found wild, and is called ' Cimmarone.' The Tamaron and these come in frequent conflict, the Tamaron being said to attack it at first sight, and, though much smaller, being quicker and stronger, to drive the Buffaloes back. The ' Tamaron,' from all I can make out, is nearest to the Anoa of Celebes, and raises a new problem in distribution. If M r Wallace's generic name stand it might be called Anoa mindorensis, if not already named, or if that of Reichert is adopted, Probubalus mindorensis." Mr. Edgar Thurston, C.M.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks upon a fine series of Corals and other marine animals which he had collected on islands in the Gulf of Manar, Indian Ocean. Mr. Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S., exhibited examples of Phasianus shawi collected by General Prejevalski in the upper valley of the Tarim River, and an example of a new species of Phasianus from the shores of Lob-Nor, respecting which he communicated the following note by Herr Theodore Pleske :- " Amongst the collection of bird-skins which General Prejevalski brought from Lob-Nor is a fine series of a species of Pheasant which he provisionally determined as Phasianus shawi (Prejevalski, " Von Kuldscha fiber der Tian-Schan an der Lob-Noor," Isvest. Imp. Russ. Geogr. Obsch. xiii. p. 275, 1877). He afterwards described it as a new species under the name of P. tarimensis (Prejevalski, Drittt Reise in Central Asien, aus Saissan fiber Chami nach Thibet und an die Quellen des Gelbe Flusses, p. 95. A review of this work, which was published in 1883, will be found in the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie,' 1886, p. 524.) "Phasianus tarimensis is very closely allied to P. shawi, but differs from it in two important particulars : " a. The wing-coverts are yellowish brown instead of ashy grey ; " b. The margins of the feathers of the rump and of the upper tail-coverts are green and buff instead of copper-red. " It ranges from Karaschar, in the lower valley of the Tarim River, and the valley of the Tschertsche Darya to the shores of Lob-Nor." Mr. Seebohm added the following remarks:- " General Prejevalski obtained examples of P. shawi in the valleys of the Aksu-Darya and the Khoten-Darya near their confluence with the middle stream of the Tarim River, and in the oasis of Sa-tschen, which do not differ from those obtained by Dr. Scully near the city of Kashgar. They were originally described by him as P. sat-chenensis, a name subsequently withdrawn in favour of P. insignis, both names being synonyms of P. shawi. 29* |
