Carpodacus puniceus sikangensis Vaurie

Carpodacus puniceus sikangensis Vaurie, 1956b: 20 (Mt. Konka between 16,000 and 16,500 feet, southeastern Sikang).

Now Pyrrhospiza punicea sikangensis Vaurie, 1956 . See Vaurie, 1959: 644–645; Howell et al., 1968: 282; Dickinson, 2003: 755; Rasmussen and Anderton, 2005: 567–568; and Clement, 2010: 596.

HOLOTYPE: AMNH 292130, adult male, collected in the Konka Risonquemba (or Risumgongba) (5 Konka), 16,000–16,500 ft, Xizang (5 Sikang), China, in June 1928, by J.F. Rock. On exchange from the Smithsonian Institution (no. 312918).

COMMENTS: In the original description, Vaurie gave the AMNH number of the holotype and (on p. 23) gave measurements for 10 males (including the type) and 10 females. There is only one paratype in AMNH: AMNH 292131, female, Mount Konka, 16,000 –16,500 ft, southeastern Sikang, China, June 1928, by Rock (on exchange from the Smithsonian Institution, no. 312923).

These two specimens were part of an exchange received from the Smithsonian Institution in September 1930. Riley (1931) reported on Rock’s entire collection and noted (Riley, 1931: 1–2) that Rock collected in the Konka Risonquemba, between 14,000 and 17,000 ft, in June and August 1928. This range is northwest of Mu-li (28.12N, 100.50E, Times atlas), and according to Rock (1931: 7) they were in ca. 28.30N, 100.10E in late June. These mountains were visited by Rock prior to his visits to the Muti Konka and Minya Konka, which are north and east of Mu-li in Sichuan.

Riley (1931: 78–79) assigned Rock’s specimens to Pyrrhospiza punicea szetschuana on geographical grounds. Other paratypes are probably in USNM.