118 CIJCULID^. 



Sub-Family, CENTROPODIN^, i?j).~CoucALs or Ceow 



Pheasants. 



Bill strong-, deep, coinpressed ;. wings rounded ; tail long, graduated ; 

 tarsi long; hallux lengthened in some; tarsi scaled. 



Gen. Centropus. — IlUger. 



Bill well curved_, high at base ; claw of the hallux lengthened, 

 nearly straight. 



Centropus maximus, Hume, Sir. F. vol. i. 454-; vi. 169. — The 



Crow Pheasant, 



Head, neck, lower back, upper tail-coverts and entire under parts 

 richly empurpled black, duller towards the vent ; feathers of the 

 forehead bristly, and those on the neck and breast with spiny shafts ; 

 tail dusky black with a greenish gloss ; wings deep rufous bay or dark 

 red ; bill black ; irides crimson; legs black. 



Length. — 19 to 20 inches, wing 9 to 10, tail 10 to 10*5, bill at front 

 1-25. 



Eah. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces and Burmah. Hume {8. F. 

 vol. vi. page 170) says it is not yet possible to define accurately the 

 limits of riifij)ennis, maximus and intermedius. Riifipennis, he says, 

 appears to be a South and Central Indian species; maxwius, Western 

 and N.- Western continental India; and intermedius, Eastern continent- 

 al India and the whole of Burmah. 



Gen. Taccocua, — Lesson. 



Bill short, of moderate length ; culmen arched ; commissure and 

 gonys straight or concave; nostrils basal, longitudinal; 4th and 5th 

 quills nearly equal and longest. 



Taccocua sirkee, Gray, III. Ind. Zool. pi. 28; Jerd. B. Lnd. i. 

 353, No. 220; Str. F. v. 219; Murray, Edbh, Zool., S>c., Sind, 

 p. 132.— The Bengal Sirkeer. 



Head, neck, sides of the face, entire upper parts, including upper 

 tail-coverts and tail sandy brown with a slight satiny sheen ; barbs of the 

 feathers of the forehead, crown, lores and sides of the face very lax and 

 with stiff bristly black shafts. Eye-lashes also with black bristles, which 

 are basally white. Chin yellowish brown, the feathers black shafted ; 

 throat, sides of the neck and breast concolorous with the back, the 

 feathers lax and black shafted; scapulars the same. Primaries and 

 secondaries plain sandy brown on their outer webs, their inner webs 

 slightly darker, their shafts dark brown. Secondaries and tail feathers 

 with obsolete bars. Lower breast, abdomen, flanks, tibial plumes, under 

 wing-coverts and vent ferruginous ; under tail-coverts brown, tinged 

 with ferruginous. Bill cherry red, the tip yellowish. Orbits purplish. 

 Legs dusky greenish. 



Length. — 17 inches, wing 5'6to 6"2, tail 9"2 to 9*5, bill from gape 1'5. 



Hah. — Sind, ( Jacobabad) Punjab, N, W. Provinces, Bengal, Kutch, 

 Concan, Deccan and Central India. 



