1 922. J Birds of the Prorince of ITiipeh. 405 



to l)e o£ great interest, formino- evidently ii link between the 

 Pheasant of the mountains and that of the plain. The 

 examples obtained from Mopanchow, in the Sungtze district 

 between Ichang and Shasi, came from low liills covered with 

 woods of small pines, and are A^ery closely related to 

 F. decollatus. The birds from Shihlipu, about 20 to 30 miles 

 north of Shasi, were shot in low, undulating country and 

 show atfinity with the Pheasant from the plains, having 

 greyer backs, a more pronounced white collar, and some of 

 the specimens having the sides of the neck more purple. I 

 compared this series of Pheasants with the fine series of 

 P. strauchi in the Tring Museum, and Dr. Hartert agreed 

 with me that the bird from the lower hills of Hupeh is a 

 distinct form *. I subsequently saw the series collected by 

 Zappey, but I had not my specimens to compare with them. 

 It appeared evident, however, that the birds obtained and 

 described by mo form a link (as mentioned above) between 

 the Pheasant of the hills and that of the plain. The following- 

 are the characteristics of this race : — Crown deep oily-green, 

 concolorous with hind neck, eyebrow absent or very slightly 

 developed, sides of neck more green than purple, white 

 collar slight, always broken in front, Hanks and lower hind 

 neck dark, back bright gloss}^ green, wing-coverts sandy 

 grey. It will be noticed that these are practically the same 

 characteristics as those given by Thayer and Bangs for their 

 P. holderei'L Probably the Ichang Pheasant, procured by 

 Zappey, is a race of Swinhoe's decollatus. 



121. Phasianus colchicus subsp.? 

 Phasianus torfpiatiis /aa)i(/sue7isis T. & B. p. 140. 

 Pheasants shot on tlui plain near Shasi appeared to me 

 to be much darker than Lower Yangtze birds. I was, 



* Since the above was written I liave seen that Dr. Hartert has now 

 luiited P. hemptinnii with /'. torqnntus of the Lower Yanj^tze, and he 

 tells me that he cannot separate the two forms ! I must dilTer from him 

 and would point out that these dark-headed, eyebrow-less, green-backed 

 Ilupeh Pheasants are closely related to P. decoUnius Swinboe, and only 

 distantly so to the pale-headed, eyebrowed, and blue-bncked torquatus, 

 which latter form rangts from Shanghai to Kiangsi, and possibly Hankow. 



SHU. XI. — VOL. iV. 2 H 



