81. CROSSOI'TILON. 293 



31. CROSSOPTILON. 



Type. 

 Crossoptllon, Ilodys. J. As. Soc. Beiuj. vii. p. 8G4 



(18:38) ' C. tibetanum. 



Tail cotnpoaed of 20 to 24 feathers, large, full, and rounded ; the 

 middle pair of feathers twice as long as the outer pair ; the ex- 

 tremities of the middle pairs much curved, and the webs very long 

 and free. 



let primarj- considerably shorter than the 2nd, which is equal to 

 the 9th or 10th ; 5th or Gth slightly the longest. 



Top of the head covered with short, soft, curly feathers ; ear- 

 coverts produced into long white tufts on each side of the head ; 

 rest of the plumage of the body long and hairy. 



Sides of the face naked, covered with papillae. 



Sexes similar in jdumage, but in the male the tarsi are armed with 

 a pair of short stout spurs. 



Tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe and claw. 



Range. Higher ranges of Central and Eastern Asia. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Mantle white. 



a. Basal part of the outer tail-feathers dark .... tibetatiitm, p. 293. 



b. Basal part of the outer tail-feathers white .... leucurum, p. 294. 



B. Mantle brownisii black ; basal part of the outer 



tail-feathers dirty white tnantchuricum, 



C. Mantle slate-blue. [p. i>94. 



c. Bnsal part of the outer tail-feathers white ; 



an indistinct white band across the head be- 

 tween the ear-coverts anritum, p. 295. 



d. Basal part of the outer tnil-featiiers brownish 



black glossed with blue ; a wide well-defined 

 white baud acro-ss the back of the head 

 between the ear-coverts hnnnanl, p. 296. 



1. Crossoptilon tibetanum. 



Phasianus (Crossoptilon) tibetanus, Ifocl(/s. J. Ax. Soc. Beriff. vii. 



p. 864, pi. 411 (18:58) : id. Inil. Jier. iii.'p. oil:^, pi. (18:59). 

 Crossoptilon tibetaiunn, JLadj/n. in Grai/\i Zoo/. J//.<r. p. 8.1 (1844) ; 



Schif. Li.'it of P/i/is: p. (), pi. 4 (186:3); Gnu/, List Gul/ina- Brit. 



Mx.s. p. :U (18(;7); Darid, N. Arch. Mi/s. Bull. vii. p. 11 (1871) 



[.Moupin]; Elliot, M(m. Phcm. i. pi. 14(1872); David ^- Oustal. 



Oin. Chine, p. 407, pi. 107 (1877) I W. Sze-chuen] ; Hume, Sti: F. 



vii. p. 426 (1878); SculJ}/, Str. F. viii. p. 343 (187i)) ; Oustal. 



Ann. Sci. Xnt. (7) xii. p. iU") (18!12) [part.^. 

 Crossoptilon auritum, Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 49-3, pi. cxxv. (1845) ; id. 



Cat. llodijs. ed. 1, p. 124 (1846). 

 Crossoptilon drouvnii, Verreaiur, N. Arch. Mux. Bull. iv. p. 85, 



pi. iii. (1S(W) [Moupin"] ; Swinh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 399 ; JElliut, Mon. 



Phax. i. p. xviii, ])1. 1") (1872). 

 Crossoptilon tihetanus, Gra;/, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 259 (1870). 

 Cros.so])liliini tibetantnn, Hume Sf Mar.ih. Game-B. Ind. i. p. Ho, pi. 



(1878) ; Seehohm. Il>i.-; 1891, p. 378 [W. S/.e-chuen]. 



Adult male. Top of the head covered with short, soft, curly black 



