THE PHASIANID.E. 115 



main bands, with regard to which I could not ascertain with certainty whether they coalesce 

 behind, although they seem to do so. The wings bear twenty-two remiges, of which the 

 eleventh is very small ; in the tail I counted fourteen rectrices. The contour-feathers have a 

 rather large after-shaft, and, singularly enough, a fine longitudinal furrow on the upper surface 

 of the lower and thicker part of the shaft. The long feathers of the nape are entirely destitute 

 of barbules on the distant barbs of the part exposed to the light ; lower down they become 

 downy, and bear a very small after-shaft. 



2. Polyplectron chinquis, TEMM., PL Col., 539. Pterylosis as in Cryptonyx, but the broad, 

 hinder part of the spinal tract is somewhat narrower in front, the longitudinal space in it is per- 

 fectly cuneate, and the union of the lumbar tracts with the dorsal tract is not so broad. Inferior 

 tract narrow, but the branch rather broader. Contour-feathers with a large after-shaft, and 

 the lower part of the shaft very broad, on which even the inner side has no longitudinal furrow. 

 Remiges probably twenty-three ; the first three strongly graduated and falciform. The small 

 eleventh feather was not observed ; in the tail twenty feathers, and above these about ten tail- 

 coverts of half their length. 



3. Lophophorus rcfulyens, TEMM., PI. Col., 507 <? and 513 ? . The tracts throughout 

 exhibit no difference from the forms observed in Polyplectron and Cryptonyx, except that the 

 dilated portion of the dorsal tract, the longitudinal space in it, and the outer branch of the inferior 

 tract are broader ; the lumbar tracts also appear to be completely separated from the rump part 

 of the dorsal tract. The wings bear twenty-six remiges, and the eleventh is not diminutive ; the 

 first three are falciform, but not so short as in Polyplectron. The tail contains eighteen 

 feathers. 



4. Gallus. The figures of the tracts in the Common Fowl, given in Plate VII, figs. 5 and 6, 

 show, as its chief peculiarity, the want of the insular space in the less dilated dorsal part of the 

 dorsal tract ; in all other respects it agrees with the preceding genera, although the lumbar tracts 

 are imperfectly separated from the dorsal tract. A second species examined by me, Gallus fur- 

 catus, TEMM., PI. Col., 483, had a very distinct insular space in the dorsal tract, which was also 

 broader on the anterior part of the back, but otherwise presented no differences. Both had 

 fourteen rectrices ; but G. lankiva possesses twenty-four and G. furcatus only twenty-two 

 remiges, of which the eleventh is the smallest in both. 



5. Phasianus. Judging from an examination of P. pictus, nyctlicmerus, sieboldi, diardi, vene- 

 ratus and colchicus, this genus is distinguished from Gallus banlciva by nothing except the 

 number of the tail-feathers, which is eighteen. The number of remiges is twenty-six, and the 

 eleventh is of very inconsiderable size. Two small, conical fleshy lobes, placed superiorly at the 

 extremity of the naked cheeks near the occiput, support the feathers which many Pheasants, e.g. 

 P. colchicus, are able to erect like ear-tufts they are evidently analogous structures to the horns 

 of Tragopan satyrus. 



6. Argus. This genus also does not differ at all in the type of its tracts from the common 

 Fowl and the Pheasants, but is strikingly distinguished from all other Gallinaceai by the total 

 absence of the oil-gland in both sexes. I counted twenty-six remiges, of which the eleventh 

 was very remarkably small; but only twelve rectrices. The enormous length of the secondaries, 

 which occurs in both sexes, but in the female in a less degree, is an important generic character ; 

 of the primaries the first five are graduated, and the other five all of equal length. 



7. Pavo. Whilst the rest of the tracts (Plate VII, figs. 7 and 8) are of exactly the same form 



