732 Michael F. Guyer 
era of Phasianine. ‘The head is simply and completely feathered 
except for a small region in front of and behind the eyes. In 
most of the other species of Polyplectron, in fact, there is simplicity 
of head feathering although in certain species the males have 
modest crests. “Thus P. emphanes has a small crest, and a white 
face reminding one somewhat of the peacock although in P. em- 
phanes the white is in the feather. P. schleiermacheri of Borneo 
has a crest which curls forward. While bearing in mind this sim- 
plicity of head covering in Polyplectron, it should be noted also 
that in all the hybrids from widely divergent ancestry which I have 
examined among the Phasianidz such as peacock-chicken, guinea- 
chicken, and pheasant-chicken, there has been a marked return 
to some such simple type. 
‘Returning to a discussion of the primitive features of P. chal- 
curum, we find, furthermore, that the color of its plumage might 
be regarded as a primary type from which the hues and patterns 
of the Phasianine in general could have been derived. Looked 
at from a distance, the general effect is reddish brown with curve 
barring on the back and tail (Fig. 2, Plate II). The breast is 
even more reddish in color, and plain. An examination of a single 
feather of the back (Fig. 8, Plate III) shows the pattern to be that 
of a series of alternate darker and lighter colored crescents or U’s 
of which the dark ones are almost black and the others a light 
reddish brown—a black and white feather washed, as it were, 
with reddish brown. The lighter colored U’s are from four to 
five in number on most of the feathers of the back, rump and ~ 
abdomen. 
It will be seen from an inspection of this pattern that the more 
transverse markings of its kinsmen (Fig. 6, Plate III) in the genus 
Polyplectron could readily have been derived from it by more or 
less of a suppression of the arms of the U. On the other hand, if 
the arms became lengthened out there would be formed an elon- 
gated pattern approaching a stripe. It is precisely such a condition 
as this that is present in the feathers of many pheasants (Fig. 1-5, 
Elate, LI). 
In P. chalcurus itself, in fact, on the wing coverts one finds all 
gradations in the transition to this elongated, pheasant type of 
