THE ELOOD PHEASANTS. 219 



III. THE NORTHERN ELOOD PHEASANT. ITHAGENES SINENSIS. 



Iihagi?iis sinensis^ David, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5), xviii. art. 5, p. i 

 (1873), and xix. art. 9, p. i (1874); id. and Oustalet, 

 Ois. Chine, p. 402, pi. 114 (1877). 



Ithaginis geoffroyi, Prjev. {jtec Verr.), Mongolia, ii. p. 122, 

 (1876); id. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 421 (1877). 



Ithagefies sineftsis^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. INTiis. xxii. p. 270 



(1893). 



Adult Male. — Differs from /. geo]}royi in having the sides of 

 the crest blackish-brown^ and the patch on the wing-coverts 

 rust-brown ; chin, throat, and fore-neck blackish-grey with 

 whitish shaft-stripes, washed on the chin with crimson. Total 

 length, 17*6 inches; wing, 8; tail, 7 ; tarsus, 2-5. 



Adult Female. — Differs from the female of /. gcoffroyi in 

 having the upper-parts browner, more like those of /. crtientus, 

 but paler ; the throat is dirty grey and the breast pale brown- 

 ish-buff, with scarcely a trace of dark mottlings. Total length, 

 i6*2 inches; wing, 7-5; tail, 5-9; tarsus, 2-4. 



Eange. — Higher regions north of the Nan-shan and Kan-su 

 Mountains, also the Sinling Mountains between Shen-si and 

 Ho-nan. 



Habits. — Prjevalsky says : " We observed this scarce species, 

 called by the natives ' Sermun,' only in the Kan-su Mountains, 

 where it principally inhabits the wooded districts, and also 

 ascends to the alpine regions. We did not obtain a single 

 specimen ourselves, but bought a skin from the Tanguts, who 

 told us that these birds, in spring, keep mostly to the edges of 

 forests and about the alpine bushes, and then feed on a par- 

 ticular kind of grass. In winter they descend to the middle 

 and low mountain ranges, where they form small companies, 

 and pass the night on trees like Crossoptilon aiiritiun. 



" The note of the present species consists of a long, perfectly 

 clear, but not loud whistle." 



