18/9.] SIGNOR T. SALVADORI ON ACOMUS INORNATUS. 651 



6. On Acomus inomatus, Salvad. By T. Salvadori, C.M.Z.S. 



[Eeceived June 10, 1879.] 



(Plate XLVIII.) 



Quite recently I have described (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xiv p 250) 

 a new Pheasant from Mount Singalan, on the west coast of Sumatra 

 which I have named Acomus inomatus. The type specimen, which 

 has long spurs, looks fully adult ; and Dr. Beccari, who obtained 

 it, is very positive in stating that it is a male, having dissected it 

 himself. He tells me that, from reports he heard from the natives, and 



wS*^ I , I frVT' Uie trapS mid belon S in S ^ specimens 

 which unfortunately had been eaten by some carnivorous animal, he 

 thinks that the female is of a reddish brown colour. But it is possible 

 that the feathers alluded to, instead of belonging to the female of 

 A znornatus -were those of the hen of Euplocamus vieilloti, Gray 

 which most likely ,s the bird with the white tail-feathers mentioned 

 by Beccari m his letter to Marquis Doria (Ann. Mus. Civ Gen 

 xm. p. 454) dated Kaju Tanam (Sumatra). 



As the new bird described by me is wholly black, some one may 

 think, notwithstanding the positive statement of Beccari that it is 

 not a male of a distinct species, but a female of Acomus erythrophthal- 

 mus (Lames). Such is certainly not the case, according to my ideas • 

 and 1 think it advisable to point out the differences between my bird 

 and the hen of A. erythrophthalmus. I feel the more the necessity 

 ot doing so specially, as in describing A. inomatus I have neglected 

 to notice the differences between the two birds; and some one may 

 think that I was not aware of the female of A. erythrophthalmus 

 being black and wearing such a dress as may be easily taken for 

 that of a cock— especially as its tarsi are armed with powerful 

 spurs. l 



The female of A. erythrophthalmus has so much the appearance 

 of a male bird that it has been described as a distinct species under 

 the name ot Phasianus purpureus, Gray (111. Ind. Zool. pi 42) I 

 think that Blyth was the first (Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p" 245) to 

 point out that the bird called Ph. purpureus is the female of A erv- 

 throphthalmus. Subsequently Sclater (P. Z. S. 1863, p 120) and 

 Elliot, in his Monograph of the Pheasants, agreed in considering Ph 

 purpureus to be the female of A. erythrophthalmus. It must be°said' 

 however, in justice to Raffles that he rightly described (Trans Linn' 

 Soc xu, p. 321) the black bird as the female of his Phasianus 

 erythrophthalmus. 



Turning to my Acomus inomatus, I may state that before describing 

 it I had carefully compared it with an adult heu of A. erythronh- 

 thalmus, and felt quite convinced, as I am now, that it is a male 

 of a distinct species. 



The hen of A. erythrophthalmus is smaller, and it is black all 

 over, uniformly shining greenish blue on the upper parts; the head 



