69. THE BLACK-BACKED KALIJ- 

 PHEASANT. 



Gennceus melanonotus^ (BLYTH). 



MALE : No portion of the upper plumage 

 vermiculated with white ; crest black ; 

 back and rump glossy blue-black with 

 velvety black fringes. 



FEMALE : Undistinguishable from the 

 female of the previous two species. 



VERNACULAR NAMES : Muthura^ Ben- 

 gali ; Kirrik, Bhutia ; Kirrik-pho, 

 Lepcha. 



THE Black-backed Kalij -Pheasant occu- 

 pies a comparatively small portion of 

 the Himalayas, being confined to Sikhim, 

 both Native and British, and the western 

 portion of Bhutan. This Pheasant does 

 not ascend to any great height, being 

 seldom found above 6000 or 7000 feet 

 of altitude. 



Mr. Gammie has written an excellent 

 account of this bird, and I reproduce 

 a portion from Messrs. Hume and 

 Marshall's work : " In Sikhim the Black- 

 backed Kalij is abundant from about 



