536 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Fire-backed Pheasants, Macartnei/a, with two species, Phasianus 

 igniius, and P. Vieilloti ; large birds with black plumage, the back 

 fiery red, and the middle tail feathers white. The head is slightly- 

 crested, and the orbits are blue. Next Alectrophasis, Gray, founded 

 on the Lophophorus Cuvierii of Temrainck, a very beautiful bird ; 

 and Acomus, founded on the Phasianus erytlirojjtlialmos^ similar 

 but smaller, and in which genus the female is occasionally spurred. 

 This and the last have rufous tails. Next these the Jungle-fowl. 



Gen. Gallus, Linnseus. 



Char. — Head furnished with a crest of skin ; the face nude» 

 and also a loose lappet or wattle ; tarsus of the male strongly 

 spurred ; the spur long and slightly curved ; tail, of fourteen feathers, 

 compressed, divaricated, with the median feathers lengthened, 

 curved and drooping, held semi-erect, .the backs of the feathers 

 facing each other ; the upper tail-coverts lengthened and curved ; 

 feathers of the neck hackled, lanceolate. 



This genus comprises the so called Jungle-fowl, the origin of all 

 our varieties of Fowl, and its general characters are familiar to all. 

 Several species are known occurring from India as far as Timor 

 at all events. India possesses two, and Ceylon another species. 



812. Gallus ferrugineus, Gmelin. 



. Tetrao, apud Gmelin — figured by Latham as the Hackled 

 Partridge — Blyth, Cat. 1462 — G. bankiva, Temminck (in part) 

 — Hardwicke 111. J. Z. 1 pi. 43 f. 3 the hen, — Jerdon, Cat. 267 

 — Ban murgh, or Jangli-murgh, H. — Bankohra of the Sontals 

 and in Central India — Gera gogor of the Gonds (the male), 

 K^lru (the hen) — Natsu-pia, Bhot. — Pazok-tshi, Lepch. 



The Eed Jungle-fowl. 



Descr. — Male, colors as in the typical Barn-door fowl, viz., rich 

 golden hackles on the head, neck, throat and breast, paler on the 

 sides of the neck and posteriorly ; ear-coverts white ; back purplish 

 brown in the middle, rich orange brown on the sides ; upper tail- 

 coverts lengthened, also bright orange ; wings with the lesser and 

 greater-coverts black, glossed with green ; median-coverts rich 



