522 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATVRAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



decide what forms are deserving of the rank of species and what 

 should be merelj'" designated sub-species or geographical races of 

 those species. 



Adhering to my rule that the classification which is most con- 

 venient is also the most scientifically sound, I accept four forms, or 

 groups of forms as sufficiently well-defined from one another to 

 merit the title of species. In no case can any one of these four 

 forms be mistaken for another, and in no case is there a line be- 

 tween the two in which they merge into one another in such a 

 manner as to make it in the slightest degree difficult to say to 

 which they belong. 



The two points in the plumage of the various Koklas Pheasants 

 which in combination make discrimination between them easy are : 

 (1) The colour of the tail feathers, and (2) The pattern of the 

 feathers of the back. The first feature divides them into two well- 

 defined groups, and the second breaks each of these up yet again 

 into two further divisions. 



Beebe, who uses only the pattern of the upper plumage as a dis- 

 tinguishing feature, places P. oneyeri as a sub-species of P. xantho- 

 spila ; this, however, it certainly is not, as the tail of the two forms 

 are utterly different, but as the back plumage pattern on the other 

 hand is equally different to that of P. macroloplia, it must stand as 

 a species intermediate between these two. The fact that its tail is 

 like one species and its back like another, does not alone reduce it 

 to a form such as would constitute a sub-specific link between the 

 two for this combination of features is quite definite, and does not 

 shew — as far as we know at present — any sign of merging into the 

 other forms. 



As regards the sub-species into which they may be further 

 divided, in these, of course, the differences are only a question of 

 degree and though they are sufficiently pronounced within certain 

 areas to enable us to give them a definite status as geographical 

 races, yet on the confines of each area we find perfectly interme- 

 diate specimens, which we may allot to either of the adjacent sub- 

 species as it best pleases us. 



In " Zoologica " Beebe thus describes the difierences in the three 

 species he accepts. 



" In macrolopha the mantle feathers are cold ashy grey, 

 " with a wide black shaft stripe extending almost to the tip, . 

 " A white wedge has been driven some distance up the shaft, but 

 " . . . is not visible when the feathers are in place. 



" In xanthosinla and its congeners . . . there are two 

 " lines of black instead of one. 



" In darivini two additional lateral white wedges have ap- 

 "peared, splitting the two longitudinal black lines into 

 " four." 



