506 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXT . 



I was greatly interested in Mr. Stuart Baker's revision of the genus 

 Gennceus in No. 4, Vol. XXIII, of this Journal and also in his article on some 

 of the species and sub-species of Gennceus in the last Journal (No. 2), 

 Vol. XXV. According to Mr. Baker, Oates species Gennceus mearsi is 

 nothing more and less than Gennceus horsfleldi horsfieldi. Under that 

 species he makes the following remarks : " The lower plumage is very 

 seldom marked with white, but I have seen specimens from Goalpara 



again from the extreme East ( vide Oates, mearsi) 

 with five lines on the feathers of the sides of the breast and flanks, the 

 streaks appearing either as central strite to the feathers or, less often, 

 on the outer web only." 



Now to come to my Goalpara skin. I have not got the specimen with 

 me at present. I believe Mr. Baker has it, but I made a most careful 

 life size water colour sketch of half or more of the bird and have 

 that sketch. The first thipg that struck me on receipt of the skin 

 from Mr. Shebbeare and also on examining my water colour sketch 

 was the lanceolate feathers of the breast just like those of melanonotus 

 and not at all like the rounded breast feathers of horsfieldi. The breast 

 feathers have white central striee as mentioned by Mr. Baker and quoted 

 by me, but in Mr. Baker's article there is no mention of the breast feathers 

 being lanceolate or rounded. I believe the breast feathers of horsfieldi 

 are invariably rounded ; if so, then my Goalpara specimen cannot belong to 

 that species, and if the breast feathers of mearsi are rounded which, 1 

 presume they are, as Mr. Baker places that sub-species as a synonym of 

 horsfieldi, then my skin is not mearsi though named so by Oates, who 

 originally described that sub-species. I believe my skin will turn out to be a 

 hybrid of between Gennceus melanonotus and G. horsfieldi horsfieldi, having 

 the lanceolate breast feathers of the former and the white barred rump of 

 the latter. I have asked Mr. Stuart Baker to re-examine my Goalpara 

 skin and to give us his views on the subject. It would be interesting if 

 one could get further Goalpara specimens. I am trying to do so. I have 

 been greatly interested in the Kalij pheasants for some time and have been 

 collecting specimens from various parts of Darjiling and the Duars to try 

 and find out the exact range of G^mnceus melanonotus, which is the 

 common species of those parts. This species is not the only one 

 got in that region, as some years ago while shooting from an 

 elephant in the forest near Sivoke, which is in the Kurseong Division 

 of the Darjiling District and is situated at the foot of Hills and on 

 the boundary of the Duars, the Tista river separating it fx'om that 

 District, I distinctly saw at very close range a Kalij pheasant with 

 white bars on the rump. I quickly changed my lethal cartridges for shot 

 ones, but in the meantime the Kalij had scuttled into some high elephant 

 grass, and though I beat this thoroughly with the elephant, I never got 

 another glimpse of the bird. The bird was quite close to the elephant, 

 when I saw it and the undergrowth being thin 1 got a complete view of 

 the bird and not only a glimpse ; knowing Gennceus horsfieldi horsfieldi well, 

 the white bars on the rump at once drew my attention. I have tried to 

 get specimens of white barred rumped birds from this locality and from the 

 Duars, but so far unsuccessfully. Several of the Duars planters are 

 interested in the subject and have promised to send me skins should they 

 get any, and Mr. Shebbeare, who moves about the whole of the District from 

 the Goalpara to the Darjiling boundaries, is also on the look out for 

 specimens. So far the only pheasants I have got from the Duars have 

 been from the Jalpaiguri Division and all G. nnelanonotus, but I hope to get 

 some from the Buxa Division which runs up to the Goalpara District, the 

 Sankos being the boundary. Should any pheasants be forthcoming from 



