Plu'asaut which appears ti) be most closely allied to sharpei as do 

 othei- specimens obtained by Mr. E. G. Herbert at Korat (lat. 15°, 

 long. 102*5°), but these latter birds have brilliant red legs, and not 

 ilesliy gvey or fleshy livid ones as in sharpei. 



There still remains a great deal to be done in 8iam and the 

 adjoining countries before we can definitely lay down the areas occu- 

 pied by the various siibspecies of Gennaeus. 



General Habits. — The Chinese Silver Pheasant is normall}^ an in- 

 habitant of the highest and driest hills and plateaus above 6,000 

 feet and up to 9,000 feet or more. Also, as w^e should expect, it 

 haunts the more open forests or countr}'- which is grass-covered and 

 only intersected with forest by the lower ^'ing valleys and ravines. 

 It is doubtful whether this Pheasant ever really enters any part of the 

 area covered by these articles, and it cannot be considered an Indian 

 bird ; at the same time the dividing line in appearance between true 

 nijcthemerus and its subspecies ripponi is so narrow that we may 

 eventxTally find that the latter cannot stand, and, in this case, the 

 bird will then have the status of an Indian, or rather, Burmese, 

 Game-Bird. 



GENNiEUS NYCTHEMERUS RIPPONI. 



The Yunnan Silver Pheasants 



Gennoim ripponi, Sharpe, Bnll, B. O. C, Xlll., p. 29 (1902) ; Ghigi, 

 Mem. Acad. Bologna (fi), V.. p. 139 (1908) ; Harington, Jour. B. N. H. S., 

 XX., p. 377 (1910) ; Stuart Baker, ibid, XXIII., p. 684 (191o). 



Gennceusjonesi, Oates, Ibis (1903), p. 97 ; Ghigi, in loc. cit. (1908). 



Vernacular Names. — Yit {Burmese^, Wuri (Kachin). 



Description — Adult Male. — Only differs from true nydhemerus in 

 having the black bars a trifle broader in comparison so that the 

 upper parts at a short distance do not appear to be so piire a white. 

 The sides of the neck are seldom so pure a white as they are in the 

 Chinese bird, the tiny black vermiculations beino; more numerous 

 and more pronounced. The tail also averages shorter. 



Colours of the Soft Parts. — As in nycthemerus. 



Measurements.— \\mg lO-l" (25G-5 mm.) to 11-9" (302-2 mm.); 

 tail about 18-0" (457-2 mm.) to nearly 25" (635 mm.); tarsus 

 3-75" (95-2 mm.) to 4-05" (102-8 mm.); spur up to 1-25" (32-7 

 mm.), and neaidy always over an inch (25*4 mm.) ; crest from 3" 

 (76-2 mm.) to 4" (101-6 mm.). The average length of wing of tw^elve 

 adult males is 10-9" (276-8 mm.), and ^of tail 22" (558-8 mm.). 

 The bill at front is about 1-2" (30-4 mm.) and from gape about 

 1-5" (38-1 mm.). 



Adult Female. — To the extreme East of its range closely resembles 

 the females of nycthemerus, but appears never to have so much white 

 3 



