670 PUCRASIA 



PUCBASIA, G. R. Gray, 1841. 



933. MONGOLIAN PUCRAS. 

 PUCRASIA XANTHOSPILA. 



Pucrasia xanthospila^ Gray, P.Z.S. 1864, p. 259, pi. xx. ; Gould, B. of 

 As. vii. pi. 24 ; Elliot, Monogr. Phas. i. pi. 30 ; David and Oust. 

 Ois. Chine, p. 407, pi. 104 ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxii. 

 p. 315 ; Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gan-su, p. 19. 



( ad. (Kan-su). Median occipital crest olivaceous buff, the long pos- 

 terior lateral tufts with the sides of head, nape, and throat glossy black ; a 

 large white patch on each side of the neck ; hind neck to back white, 

 margined with golden buff ; lower back and rump grey, striped with black ; 

 wings varied with black, buff, and rufous ; elongated tail-coverts and 

 middle tail-feathers, margined with chestnut, edged with black, the rest 

 grey subterminally barred with black, and tipped with white ; middle of 

 throat, neck, breast and abdomen chestnut-red, the rest of the under parts 

 greyish white, striped with black ; under tail-coverts chestnut, tipped with 

 white ; bill blackish ; legs dark grey ; iris brown. Culmen l - 5, wing 8'9, 

 tail 8'0, tarsus 2*5 inch. The female is buff or brown, varied with 

 black and rufous ; the crest is short, and the outer tail-feathers are as in the 

 male, otherwise it resembles the female Hima'ayan P. macrolopha. 



Hob. N. W. China ; Manchuria ; Eastern Tibet ; Kan-su. 



Inhabits the wooded portions of the mountains, where it is 

 found singly or in pairs, and feeds on seeds of various kinds, 

 especially those of conifers. Its habits are similar to those of its 

 congeners, but I find no account of its nidification. 



934. CHESTNUT-BELLIED PUCRAS. 

 PUCRASIA CASTANEA. 



Pucrasia castanea, Gould, P.Z.S. 1854, p. 99 ; id. B. of Asia, vii. pi. 27 ; 

 Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxii. p. 314. 



$ ad. (Kafiristan). Differs from P. xanthospila in having the lower 

 neck, upper mantle and under parts rich chestnut-red, the rest of the upper 

 parts paler and greyer, the elongated upper tail -co verts and middle tail- 

 feathers brownish grey, with median black stripes, the latter also marbled 

 with blackish ; rest of tail-feathers blackish brown, narrowly tipped with 

 buff ; primaries dark brown, externally margined with buff. Culmen 1'2, 

 \\ing 9'2, tail 9'5, tarsus 2*7 inch. 



Hob. Northern Afghanistan and Kafirisban. 



Nothing is on record respecting the habits or nidification of 

 this species, and so far as I can ascertain only three specimens 

 are known, the two types in the British Museum, and one in the 

 Stuttgart Museum. 



