THE AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-PHEASANTS. 217 



abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tips of tail-feathers white ; 

 casque slate-blue ; bill and legs red. Total length, 33-5 inches ; 

 wing, 14; tail, 13-2 ; tarsus, 4*2 ; middle toe and claw, 3*5. 



Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the male in having the chin 

 and throat mostly pale reddish-brown ; the back and wino-- 

 coverts chestnut, barred with black and tipped with buff; the 

 lower back reddish-brown, with indistinct black bars ; the 

 chest rufous, barred with black, and the breast, sides, and flanks 

 rufous-buff. Size similar. 



Some females resemble the male in plumage. Mr. Dawson 

 Rowley records an undoubted female in black plumage similar 

 to that of the male. Further information is required on this 

 subject. 



Range. — Venezuela ; United States of Colombia ; Rio Cassi- 

 quiari, and R. Orinoco ; North-east and Central Peru. Buffon 

 records this species from Cayenne. 



Mr. W. Summerhayes says that in the mountains of Vene- 

 zuela this bird is common, and takes the place of Crax danbeii- 

 toni^ which is only found along the littoral as far as the foot of 

 the mountains. 



Eggs — Broad ovals ; shell white and rough. Average mea- 

 surements, 3 "5 by 2*5 inches. 



THE AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-PHEASANTS. GENUS 

 OREOPHASIS. 



Oreophasis, G. R. Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 485 (1844). 

 Type, O. derhiafius, Gray. 

 Width of the upper mandible greater than the height. 

 An elongate, straight, rather slender, cylifidrical casque or 

 helmet situated on the top of the head between the eyes ; crown 

 mostly naked. 



Base of the upper mandible, as far as the nostrils, densely 

 covered with velvety feathers. 



