236 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Nest. — A hollow in the ground, sheltered by some rock, 

 bush, or the root of a large tree ; little or no lining. 



Eggs. — Four or five, sometimes six, in number; oval and 

 pointed towards the small end ; pale whitish-buff, more or less 

 thickly freckled all over, except towards the ends, with reddish- 

 brown. Average measurements, 2-55 by 178 inches. 



SUB-SP. a. LOPHOPHORUS MANTOUL 



Lophophorus iuipeyanus, var. viantoiii^ Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Zool. 

 France, xviii. p. 19 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — Said to differ from the male of Z. refulgeiis in 

 having no trace of bronze-red on the neck, the interscapular 

 region purple, and the black under-parts slightly glossed with 

 green. 



SUB-SP. b. LOPHOPHORUS OBSCURUS. 



Lophophorus impeyamis, var. obscura, Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Zool. 

 France, xviii. p. 19 (1893). 



Adult Male Said to differ from the male of Z. refulgens \n 



having the head, crest, neck, and mantle very deep green, 

 shading in some lights into black, and the wing-coverts, secon- 

 daries, and upper tail-coverts greenish-bronze, with some purple, 

 black, and green reflections. 



These two forms were recently founded by Dr. Oustalet on 

 a couple of trade-skins obtained from a dealer who purchased 

 them in the London market. Nothing is known respecting 

 the locality they come from or any other particulars. Dr. 

 Oustalet assures us that the colour of the feathers cannot have 

 been chemically changed ; if he is correct in this statement, 

 these birds, especially the former, may represent some really 

 distinct form of which we at present know nothing, but it is 

 much more probable that both these examples are merely 

 accidental varieties picked out from among the thousands 

 of ordinary Moonal-skins that are annually imported into the 

 London market. 



