TRE (iAME lilRDS OF IXDLl. l!)7 



male and female, are those of true horsfieldi, and shew no signs of 

 grading into the red legs of nifipes and the ni/cthemerus group. 



Measurements.— Whig from 7-7" (195-G mm.) to 9-1" (231-1 

 mm.) average of thirty birds, 8-35" (212-1 mm.; ; tail from 7-2" 

 (183-0 mm.) to 8-8" "(233-5 mm.); average of thirty birds, 8-OG" 

 (204-7); tarsus about 2-75" (G9-8 mm.); bill at front about M" 

 (27-9 mm.), and from gape a little over 1-3" (33-0 mm.). 



YowKj Male. — A specimen in the Gates' Collection which is 

 labelled " c? , see spurs" is identically like an adult female. In 

 spite of the spurs, on account of which this specimen has been 

 sexed »c^ , I should not be surprised if it turned out to be an old 

 barren female. One would expect 3'oung adult males carrying spurs 

 like this to be in male plumage, and we should also expect the young 

 males to follow the same rules as horsfieldi and be considerably 

 darker and more boldly marked below than the females. 



Distribution. — Williams' Silver Pheasant has a very well defined 

 range, being practically confined to the moderately high hills lying 

 between the Manipur, Yaw, Oyu and Irrawaddy Rivers, and in the 

 Arrakan Yomas on the East, and the hill}^ country East again of 

 the main ridge as far South as Minbu on the Irrawaddy and further 

 West as far as latitude 19-5, or about level with Thayetm^^o. North 

 it occurs as far as Homalin and Tammu, whence I have seen typical 

 specimens. In Arrakan, South of Pakkoku, it appears to be rare, 

 and over much of the low-lying dry zone, no Silver Pheasants are to 

 be found. To the West it is found on all the higher ground on the 

 East of the Manipur River, typical specimens having been obtained 

 from Fort White, Tiddim, Falam, &c. 



On the rivers themselves and at levels below 1,000 feet true hors- 

 fieldi penetrates far into the areas, the higher parts of which are 

 occupied by mlliamsi, and the consequence is that on the inter- 

 vening line we are constantly meeting with birds which cannot be 

 ascribed to either sub-species, and again other birds which appear to be 

 the result of interbreeding between horsjieldi and rujipes or even 

 korsjieldi and ni/dhemerus. 



In the Soiithern low-lying portion of the inter Chindwin-Mu and 

 Mu-Irrawaddy regions there appear to be no Pheasants except for a 

 rai-e straggler of true /iors//eZJi which may now and then be met 

 with in the forests bordering the rivers. 



Nidificfiiion. — So far thex-e is nothing on record as regards the 

 nidification of this sub-species, though its nests and eggs have been 

 taken by Messrs. P. Wickham, J. M. D. Mackenzie and C. Hop- 

 wood, and also, I believe, Mr. P. MacDonald. 



Nests with eggs have so far apparently only been taken in April 

 and May, but there is little doubt that though these two months 

 are probably those in which most eggs are laid, they will also be 

 foiind in March and June, and probably other months as well. 



