Abstract
IN the Izvestia of the Russian Geographical Society (xx. 6) we find an interesting paper by M. Grum–Grzimailo, who has journeyed in the mountains north of the Alay region of the Pamir, chiefly for zoological purposes. The immense cultivated loess-fields of Osh, devoid of trees, yielded poor zoological results. Only a few uncultivated places had in the spring a rich fauna: great numbers of birds, various Colubridce, the Pseudapus pallasii, tortoises, immense numbers of Bufo variabilis were met with. Here the author gathered a very rich collection of Lepidoptera; also Zamenis kaufmanni, Taphrometoron linco-latum, Elaphis dione, Eryx faculuj, and many others. In the middle of May all these disappeared under the burning rays of the sun. On the way to Vadil several species which were not found later on were met with, such as the Trigonocephalus kalis, the Anthocaris pyrothoe, and several others. The neighbourhoods of Vadil yielded nothing interesting at that part of the season (middle of June). Of vertebrates only two Eremids and one Trigonocephalus hydrus were found. Shankh-mardan and Jordan, on the contrary, gave a rich crop of insects, and M. Grzimailo remained there for ten days. On a rich Alpine pasturage, Artcha-bash, where Kirghizes are in the habit of staying, he found very rich zoological materials. The collections were enriched with a great number of rare species, such as Pol. tatnerlana, Colias eogene, Arctia erschoffi, Hol.jagorum, which are common almost exclusively to the Himalayas and the South-West Thian-Shan, as also by several new species. On the snow-covered plateaux interesting specimens were found, and among them the Megaloperdix nigelie and the Arctomys caudatus. On the upper Kok-su, extending to a height of 12,000 feet, M. Grzimailo found a number of species which he did not see either before or afterwards during his journey, especially with regard to Lepidoptera. Vertebrates are few at this height; they were represented by the Arctomys caudatus, the eagle (A. futva), one species of Falco, the Frigilis graculus, the Pyrrhocorax alpinus?, Pica, Caccabis huckar, Megaloperdix, and Columba. On the pass itself the holes of the Arctomys caudatus are seen everywhere, as also holes of some Arvicola. The Lepidoptera are richly represented at that part of the summer, especially the two genera Colias and Parnassius. On the Djekaindy Pass it was the same; the Lyccence were very numerous, so that on the space of 3 metres the author found fifteen species of them, of which three were unknown to him. Without mentioning localities of minor interest, the plateau between the Kara-su and the Aram is worthy of notice for the brilliant collections of Lepidoptera which were made there. One Lacerta was found at a height of 11,000 feet, a species of Elaphis, the Cam's melanotus, the Lepus lekmanni, the Ovis polii; of birds, the Falconidae were most usual; also the Upupa epops, the Cuculus canorum, species of Columba, the Otthygion coturnix, Caccabis huckar, Corvus corax, and many others, this last reaching the highest parts of the region. Another find of great interest must be mentioned. The late Mr. Fedchenko had already caught one female Lepidopteron, which was determined by M. Erechoff as Colias nastes. This species having been found formerly only in Labrador and Northern Lapland, the determination remained doubtful, the individual having been but a female. M. Grzimailo has happened to catch a number of both males and females, which really proved both to belong to C. nastes. It remains now to explain the strange extension of this species.
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Fauna of Trans-Alay . Nature 32, 335 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/032335a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/032335a0