THE COMMON PHEASANT. 163 



third and fourth longest, the first equal to the seventh ; the 

 secondaries broad, rounded, and little shorter than the 

 primaries. The tail is very long, slightly arched, remarkably 

 cuneate or tapering, of eighteen tapering feathers, of which 

 the lateral are incurved, the central straight. Four pairs of 

 the longest tail feathers are concave above towards the end, 

 or channelled. 



" The bill is pale greenish-yellow, the nasal membrane 

 light brown or flesh-coloured. The bare papillar patch on 

 the side of the head is scarlet, in parts approaching to 

 arterial blood-red, or at some seasons crimson. The eyelids 

 are flesh-coloured, the iris yellow. The feet are light grey 

 tinged with brown, the claws light chocolate brown. 



" The feathers of the upper part of the head are deep 

 brownish-green, with yellowish marginal filaments. The 

 upper part of the neck is deep green behind, laterally and 

 anteriorly greenish-blue and purplish-blue. The lower part 

 of the neck is reddish-orange, anteriorly tinged with purple ; 

 the breast and sides brownish yellow ; each feather terminally 

 margined with purplish-blue, the dark margin indented in 

 the middle, but the indentation gradually diminishing on 

 the breast. The middle of the lower part of the breast is 

 blackish-brown, glossed with green, the margins of the 

 feathers being of the latter colour. The fore part of the 

 back is yellowish-red, each feather slightly margined with 

 black, and having a central oblong spot of the same. The 

 scapulars are redder, with a slight black tip, the central 

 part dull yellow mottled with dusky, margined with a black 

 band. On the middle of the back the feathers are some- 

 what similarly variegated, with additional spots of light blue 

 and purple. Those on the rump are of a deep red, with 

 green and greyish tints. The inner wing-coverts are similar 

 to the scapulars, but edged externally with dark red, the 

 outer yellowish-grey, variegated with whitish and dusky. 

 The quills are light brownish- grey, variegated with pale 

 greyish-yellow ; the secondaries more tinged with brown on 



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