2OO GALLIFORMES CHAP. 



and Crossoptilon. Excalphatoria is remarkable for possessing only 

 eight rectrices ; ten are found in Microperdix, and occasionally in 

 Synoecus and Coturnix ; but the usual number is from twelve to 

 twenty-four, while Lobiophasis has thirty-two in the male and 

 twenty-eight in the female. The nostrils are concealed by the 

 feathering in the Tetraoninae alone, the aftershaft is large 

 except in Pavo, the furcula is Y-shaped, the tongue sagittate, the 

 syrinx tracheo-bronchial. The globular crop and muscular gizzard 

 are decidedly characteristic, yet Argusianus has been said to lack 

 the former, and Centrocercus the latter. In the male of Tetrao uro- 

 yallus and both sexes of Guttera the trachea has a loop, which in 

 the latter case passes through a cavity in the head of the furcula. 

 The plumage is of the most varied description, the winter coat 

 of Lagopus being commonly white, the males of Lyrurus, Tetrao, 

 and Melanoperdix nearly black, while the prevailing colours in 

 Chrysolophus pictus are orange and red, in Gennaeus nycthemerus 

 black and white, in Eollulus dull green and maroon, in Gallus 

 orange, red, purple, green, black, and white, in Phasianus metallic 

 green, orange, and brown. In the Numidinae white or bluish 

 spots mark the blackish ground-colour ; in the American Grouse 

 black, brown, yellowish-buff and white occur in varying propor- 

 tions ; while the Partridges and Quails exhibit, as a rule, still more 

 sober tints of brown, relieved by dull red or buff. Peacocks, 

 again, show a combination of beautiful metallic blues and greens 

 with copper and buff, rarely found elsewhere in the Family ; nor 

 must Lophophorus, Lopliura, Lobiophasis, and Ceriornis be left 

 out of consideration. The ocelli or " eyes " on the Peacock's train 

 hardly require mention ; Polyplectron has similar adornments on 

 both the tail and the upper parts in the male, on the tail alone in 

 the female; Argusianus on the secondaries and rectrices in the 

 male, Meleagris ocellata on the latter in both sexes. The feathers 

 of the crown are curled in Crossoptilon, Pavo, and Lophophorus 

 sclateri, and fine crests are by no means uncommon ; the component 

 plumes being more or less racquet - shaped in Lopliura and 

 Lophortyx, and in Pavo cristatus consisting of webs at the end 

 of bare shafts. The crests of Chrysolophus and Gennaeus are 

 recumbent, those of Rollulus and Rheinardtius upright; while, 

 among others, the full head-tufts of Ithagenes and most species of 

 Lophophorus, with the comparatively short ornaments of Haema- 

 tortyx, Ceriornis, and Callipepla are worth notice. Crossoptilon, 



