CHAPTER XIX 



The Blood Pheasants 



The Blood Pheasants belong to the genus Ithagenes, and 

 there are several species which resemble in certain respects 

 the Silver Pheasant. The birds of this genus are so named 

 because they have blood-coloured patches of plumage beneath 

 the throat, on the breast, and under the tail, etc. They are 

 characterised by a tail consisting of fourteen feathers, the 

 presence of a crest in the male, naked patches beneath the 

 eyes, red legs and toes, and by the crimson patches previously 

 alluded to. 



The Blood Pheasants are indigenous to the mountainous 

 regions of Eastern Tibet, and to the western and northern 

 mountains of China. They all nest on the ground, laying 

 about a dozen eggs, although the precise nesting habits of 

 the various species of Blood Pheasants are not very clearly 

 understood. The three species are as follows : — Ithagenes 

 Geojfroyi, Ithagenes Sinensis, Ithagenes Crucntits. 



Geoffry's Blood Pheasant (^Ithagenes Geojfroyi) 



The birds of this species inhabit the higher regions of 

 Eastern Tibet and Western Szechuen in China, and the 

 total length of the bird is about 17 inches. It has a crest 

 of grey feathers and a patch of green on the wing coverts 

 larger than that in the other species. The under tail coverts 



no 



