1882.] ON THE MALE AND FEMALE OF PHASIANUS HUMI.E. 715 



5. On Specimens of the Male and Female of Phasianus 

 humice, from Munipur^ with a Description of the latter. 

 By Lieutenant-Colonel H. H. Godwin-Axjsten^ F.R.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c. 



[Eeceired NoTcmber 21, 1882.] 

 (Plate LI.) 



The two specimens of Phasianus humice which I have the plea- 

 sure of exhibiting this evening were obtained by jMr. M. Ogle, of the 

 Topographical Survey of India, on the peak of Shiroifurar, in North- 

 east Munipur, upon the Naga-hills boundary — a great mass of pecu- 

 liar dark-green trap-rock wliich rises here through the sedimentary 

 rocks to an aUitude of about 9000 feet. It was the last point on 

 that side that I reached myself in 1873, when surveying the boundary 

 along with the political officers, Col. Mowbray Thomson and Capt. 

 John Butler. I then collected some very interesting birds and land- 

 shells ; but although that winter we got specimens of Ceriornis 

 bhjthi, we neither saw nor heard of this beautiful Pheasant. 

 Nor was Tangal Major (who was attending us on the part of the Raja 

 of Munipur) then wearing its feathers as an ornament in his head- 

 dress ; or we should have been very soon on the look-out for the bird. 

 Mr. Ogle, to whom my best thanks are due, writes from Munipur 

 thus : — " I got two capital Pheasants here, which Nagas had trapped 

 on Shiroifurar, badly skinned ; or rather the flesh had been left on 

 the wings and would have gone bad ; but I had them skinned and 

 turned inside out, and took out all the flesh. Tangal Major, to 

 whom the Nagas brought the birds, made them over to Trotter, the 

 acting Political Agent ; and the latter kindly gave them to me when 

 I told him I was collecting for you." Our thanks are therefore due 

 to all three for the sight of these interesting birds here this evening. 

 Mr. Ogle continues : — " I was at Shiroifurar for about a week, and 

 had men out every day, but was not fortunate enough in getting 

 any thing of this sort." This is not to be surprised at ; for the 

 forest is very heavy, and it is a mere chance coming upon any birds 

 and seeing them in the underwood. 



The discovery of Phasianus hutnice in the northern hills gives it a 

 much more extensive range than Mr. Hume supposed ; and we have, 

 I expect, both walked over the bird many a time. It is no doubt to 

 be found throughout the Munipur hills on tlie north-east, and very 

 probably extends up the Jhiri valley, nearly to the Burrail range. 



The male bird was first obtained by Mr. Hume to the south 

 of the Munipur valley, apparently with a good deal of trouble, of 

 which he gives the history in 'Stray Feathers,' vol.ix. p. 463 ; and 

 I extract his description of the male bird in full. The interestiuo- 

 point of the present communicatiou is the description of the female, 

 before unknown, which I am now fortunate in being able to draw 



