510 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Plumage rich metallic green and gold, with a rufous tail. 



This genus consists of but one species, the most gorgeous 

 perhaps of the family, whose colors and metallic brilliancy rival 

 those of the Humming-birds. 



804. Lophophorus Impeyanus, Latham. 



Phasianus, apud Latham — Blyth, Cat. 1477 — L. refulgens, 

 Temm. — Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 60 and 61 — Gould, 

 Birds of Asia, pt. H. pi. 7 — Monal, Ghur Monal, Rutnnl — Rat- 

 hap, Battea-koioaji, in various dialects in the N. W. Himalayas. 

 Lont (the male), Ham (the female) in Cashmere — Murgh-i-zari or 

 the Golden Fowl of some — Phodong-pho, Lepch. — Chamdong, Bhot. 



The Monaul Pheasant. 



Descr. — Male, head with the crest and throat bright metallic 

 green ; hack of the neck brilliant iridescent purple, passing into 

 bronzy green, and all with a golden gloss ; upper part of the 

 back and wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts, richly glossed 

 with purple and green, the latter colour prevailing on the wings and 

 furthest tail-coverts, and the purple on the back and rump ; middle 

 of the back white ; quills black ; tail cinnamon rufous ; the whole 

 lower surface black, glossed on the throat with green and purple, 

 dull and unglossed elsewhere. 



Bill dark horny ; naked orbits blue ; irides brown ; legs dull 

 ashy green. Length 27 to 29 inches; extent 36; wing 11^ to 

 12 ; tail 8^ ; tarsus 2| ; middle toe and claw 3. Weight 4^ lbs. 



The female has the chin and throat white ; tlie whole of the 

 rest of the body pale bufFy brown, with dark brown spots, bars, 

 and undulations ; the primaries blackish, the secondary quills 

 barred black and rufous ; tip of the tail and outer edges of the 

 last tail-coverts whitish. 



Length about 24 inches ; wing 11 ; tail 7^' 



The young males for the first year nearly resemble the females, 

 but may easily be distinguished by the white feathers on the chin 

 and throat being spotted with black ; the vent feathers are also 

 marked with the same, and the whole plumage is darker. When 

 changing their plumage to the adult, they appear t^potted all over 



