I9I3.] E. C. S. Baker : Birds from the Mishmi Hills. 253 



Paris. These two skins, both of males, were received from Tsekon, 

 Yunnan, and were collected by R. G. Soulie; one is still in the 

 Paris Museum and the second is now in the British Museum 

 collection. Compared with the latter skin the present specimen 

 is considerably'' brighter, the black is more intense, the crimson 

 both of the breast and other parts is more vivid and perhaps more 

 extended into the abdomen, the green is richer and the grey of the 

 back deeper and clearer in tint. All these differences, however, 

 are probably only due to the present skin being fresh whilst the 

 others are somewhat faded. 



There is, however, one other difference which calls for remark 

 and that is in regard to the white striations on the upper parts. 

 In the Mishmi skin these are very narrow, little more than shaft 

 stripes in fact, whereas in the Yunnan skins the striations are 

 decidedly broader, in some cases, as much as 2 of^an inch. An 

 examination of the series of Ithaginis cruentus cruentus in the 

 Museum shows that individuals of this species vary very consider- 

 ably in this respect, and I am therefore unable to assume that this 

 characteristic is anything but individual in the present case also. 

 If, however, at any future time more specimens be obtained and 

 the striations be found to be constantly narrow as in this bird, 

 it would, combined with the general more intense colouration, 

 suffice to divide it subspecifically from cruentus kuseri. 



It is a most remarkable and interesting fact that the same 

 species — or sub-species — should be found inhabiting areas so wide 

 apart as Yunnan and the Mishmi Hills, and it is a great feather 

 in Captain Kennedy's cap securing so great a rarity. He writes 

 about the specimen as follows : — 



" The specimen was shot in the Upper Matun Valley, Mishmi 

 Hills, at an altitude of 8000 ft., lat. 29° 20' and long, 96° 20' 

 (roughly). 



' ' In that part of the Mishmi Hills this bird occurred in 

 considerable numbers, and one frequently saw their droppings or 

 scratchings when searching for takin, 



''They are not wary and quite a number were shot by the 

 various parties: they formed a most welcome addition to the 

 larder, being good to eat. I believe Capt. Bailey sent a couple 

 of female skins to the Bomba}^ Nat. Hist. Society, 



" I do not remember seeing traces of these birds at a lower 

 altitude than 6500 ft., and think they might be said to occur, 

 in winter, from about 6000 ft. up to the snow line, which, in 

 these hills is of course comparatively low. 



"The takin, Slater's moonal and tragopan have a similar 

 range, though perhaps the moonal and tragopan remain a little 

 lower. The hills in which they occur are clothed with forest, largely, 

 though not entirely, composed of fir and pine trees with an 

 undergrowth of rhododendron. In some places the forest gives 

 way to grassy slopes, and to these slopes the blood pheasants 

 repair to feed, morning and evening; and it is then that one can 

 bag them for the pot so easily. They form large fiocks; I have 



