THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 29 



range. In Western Sze-chuen, Mr. Pratt met with this species 

 on the grassy slopes on the spurs of the mountains up to an 

 elevation of about 9,000 feet. He observed that it avoided the 

 forest regions, always preferring the brushwood, and that in con- 

 finement it invariably roosted on the ground. We can find 

 no other notes referring to this species, but no doubt its habits 

 are generally similar to those of P. torquatiis^ of which it is the 

 south-western representative. 



XIII. STRAUCU'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS STRAUCHI. 



Phasianus j'/rrzz/^/^/, Prjevalsky, Mongol, ii. pt. 2, p. 119, pi. 

 xvii. (1876) ; id. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 417 

 (1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 330 



(1893). 

 Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from the males of both 

 P. ekgans and P vla?igalii by having the chest and sides 

 of the breast fiery ora?ige-red with narrow, complete, dark 

 purplish-green margins instead of dark green ; from the 

 former it is further distinguished by having the middle of 

 the scapulars whitish-buff fi-eckled with black next the shaft, 

 and from the latter by the margins of these feathers being 

 Indian-?'ed. Total length, 36*5 inches; wing, 9-4; tail, 23*3; 

 tarsus, 2 '5. 



Adult Female. — Upper-parts much like those of P. colchicus^ 

 but the feathers of the nape and mantle are indistinctly tipped 

 with dark green, instead of violet and purple ; the under- 

 parts are whitish buff barred w^ith black, the bars on the flanks 

 having some green gloss. Total length, 23*5 inches; wing, 

 8'i ; tail, I2'5 ; tarsus, 2'2. 



Range. — North-western Kansu. 



Habits. — Prjevalsky, who originally discovered and named 

 this very handsome species says: — "The bird inhabits the 

 wooded parts of the Kansu Mountains, up to an absolute 



