266 



PBASIANID^. 



Sexes different. 



Tail composed of 10 feathers, -well-developed, wedge-shaped ; 

 outer pair of feathers two-thirds the length of the middle pair. 

 1st primary much shorter than 10th ; 5th or 6th longest. 

 Tarsus rather shorter than middle toe and claw. 

 Plumage long and soft. 



Range. N.W. India. 



1. Ophrysia superciliosa. 



RoUulus superciliosus, Gray, Knowls. Menag., Aves, p. 8, pi. xvi. 



(1846). 

 Ophrysia superciliosa, Bonap. C. R. xliii. p. 414 (1856) ; Hume, Str. 



F. \'ii. p. 4.34 (1878) ; Hume 8; Marsh. Game B. Ind. ii. p. 105, 



pi. (1879) piussoorie, Naini Tal]. 

 Ptilopachus (Ophrysia) superciliosa, Gray, List Gallincs Brit. Mus. 



p. 45 (1867). 

 Malacotui'nix superciliosus, Blyth, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 475 [Mussooree] ; 



Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 8 (1868). 

 Malacortyx superciliaris, Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 31-3. 

 Coturuix (Ophrysia) superciliosa, Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 269 (1870). 



Adult male. Middle of the crown and nape pale brownish grey, 

 each feather with a black shaft-stripe ; sides black, separated from 

 the black superciliarj' stripes on either side by a wide white band 

 confluent with its fellow on the fore part of the head, which is 

 also white ; rest of the upper parts, wing-coverts, and scapulars 

 grey, more or less washed with olive-brown, each feather margined 

 on the sides with black ; flight-feathers dark brown, the primaries 

 more or less mottled with rufous buff on the margin of the outer 

 webs ; a white spot before and behind the eye, and a white band 

 down each side of the throat commencing below the eye ; rest of 

 the plumage on the sides of the head, chin, and throat black ; rest 

 of underparts resemble the upper parts, but are somewhat greyer, 

 except on the sides and flanks ; under tail-coverts black, tipped and 

 evenly spotted on either web with white. Tail dark olive-brown ; 

 biU coral-red ; legs and feet dull red. Total length 9 inches, 

 wing 3-5, tail 3, tarsus 1. 



Immature males differ from the adult in having the last secondaries 

 black, with a narrow buff shaft-stripe and transverse bars and marks 

 like those of the female; a few of the feathers of the middle of the 

 back are brown marked with black, and almost like those of the 

 female. 



Adult female. Upper parts warm light brown ; some of the 

 feathers of the middle of the head and all those of the nape and 

 back of the neck with black shaft-stripes ; a black band on each 

 .side of the crown ; those of the back and rump with subterminal 

 1 riangular black spots edged above with bufl'. Upper tail-coverts 

 with irregular black blotches and intermediate buff bars along the 

 shaft ; the feathers of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts 

 are also finely mottled with black ; wing-coverts and scapulars like 

 the back ; flight-feathers brown, mottled and irregidarly barred on 



