426 BIRDS OCCURRING IN INDIA NOT DESCRIBED 



Female. — Much resembles the male, but differs in the much 

 greater extent of pencilling and barring ; the whole mantle 

 and the whole of the breast (not merely the upper breast as in 

 the male) is distinctly and conspicuously lineated with narrow 

 zig-zaggy dark brown lines ; the mantle of the male is doubt- 

 less, when closely looked into, excessively finely vermiculated 

 with blackish grey or greyish brown, but in the female these 

 markings are very conspicuous, and on the longer scapulars 

 and tertials are further apart, and fully as distinctly marked 

 as those on the upper breast of the male ; the linear elongated 

 portion of the central tail-feathers in the female is not 

 above three inches in length. The bill, too, is decidedly 

 smaller. — Hume, "Lahore to Yarkand.'" 



803 sex.— Polyplectron germaini, Elliot. 



I formerly mentioned (S. F., V., 118,) that there were some 

 grounds for thinking it possible that this species might occur 

 within our limits. I have been able to learn nothing further 

 since this, but still think it advisable to give a very brief des- 

 cription of it. It is most like P. tibetanum, but it has no 

 white throat, and the bare orbital skin is bright crimson and 

 not pale fleshy pink as in tibetanum. Mr. Elliot says, (I can- 

 not praise his description by the way) : — «■ 



" This species is readily distinguished from all the members 

 of this genus, and may be described as follows :— General 

 colour blackish brown, irregularly spotted with light brown ; 

 head and back part of the neck black, each feather barred 

 with white ; back, wings, and tail-coverts with metallic spots, 

 in some lights of a dark lustrous green, in others of a rich 

 purple ; primaries dark brown ; upper mandible black, lower 

 horn-colour : feet black." 



803 sept— Crossoptilon tibetanum, Eodgs. 



" The length, from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail, 

 is from 38 to 40 inches, of which the bill is 1*62, and the tail 

 19 to 20 inches. 



" A closed wing measures 12*5 inches ; the tarsus, 4*12 ; and 

 the central toe, 2*62 ; the bill has the same length, whether 

 taken from the gape or from the front, and is three-eighths of an 

 inch shorter than the head, the latter being two inches complete ; 



