THE EARr<:D-PHEASANTS. 251 



for it frequents the dense mountain forests, is extremely shy, 

 and very rarely seen, all the specimens obtained being caught 

 by means of snares. 



Mr. C. Hose writes : "Bulvver's Pheasant is only found on 

 the mountains, though it does not ascend very high, not 

 extending beyond 2,000 feet as far as I know. The actions of 

 this bird are entirely Fowl-like, and it is much more like a 

 Jungle Fowl in its ways than a Pheasant. Wolf's picture in the 

 ' Birds of Asia ' gives a wrong idea of the carriage of the bird, 

 and I very much doubt whether it ever sits up in the way 

 there depicted. On the contrary, it skulks along through the 

 jungle, carrying its tail in a curve like a Fowl. It is often 

 trapped by the natives and is essentially a ground-bird, seldom 

 taking flight, but preferring to run through the jungle to save 

 itself. I believe that it takes quite three years before the full 

 white tail is assumed. Native name ' Bag;ier.' " 



THE EARED-PHEASANTS. GENUS CROSSOPTILON. 



Crossoptilo?i^ Hodgson, J. As. Soc. Beng. vii. p. 864 (1838). 

 Type, C. tibetaniim, Hodgson. 



Tail composed of hventy to twenty-foiw feathers (the number 

 varying in the different species), large, full, ^nd rounded, the 

 middle pair being twice as long as the outer pair. The 

 extremities of the middle pair much curved, the webs long 

 and decomposed. 



First flight-feather shorter than the second which is equal to 

 the ninth or tenth ; fifth or sixth somewhat the longest. 



Sides of the face naked, red, and covered with small 

 papillae. 



Plumage of sexes similar ; ear-coverts much lengthened and 

 forming a long white tuft on each side of the head. 

 Feet in male armed with short stout spurs. 



