Play all audios:
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. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via
your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this
article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in
* Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE _Fauna of
Trans-Alay_ . _Nature_ 32, 335 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/032335a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 06 August 1885 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/032335a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you
share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the
Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative