REMARKS UPON PHASIANUS INSIGNIS. 199 



and who fully appreciated that he had two very distinct 

 species before him), I will endeavour, as clearly and briefly as 

 possible, to state the characters by which P. insignis may be 

 recoguised, so that Indian Ornithologists, who may perhaps 

 penetrate the localities where these splendid birds are found, 

 will, through the medium of Stray Feathers, be able to 

 recognise the two species without difficulty. 



I will remark, en passant, that it is very evident on reading 

 Dr. Scully's article that Mr. Hume was perfectly correct in 

 stating his belief that but one species was represented among 

 the examples collected by Dr. Scully, ail of which were undoubt- 

 edly P. Shaioi, and I am certain that, if specimen of P. 

 insignis had been with them, Dr. Scully, who has a quick eye 

 to detect different characters, would have recognised it at once. 



It certainly was unfortunate that the skins brought to England 

 by Mr. Shaw were so much mutilated, and that the heads were 

 absent, (although the entire bodies and tails of both sexes were 

 entire). This caused me to suppose that insignis had no ring 

 about the neck, as no white feathers were visible. This view 

 was not so entirely erroneous, however, as may be imagiued, for 

 although the adult male has a narrow incomplete white ring, 

 yet the young male, or rather the male when not absolutely 

 fully adult, as exhibited by specimens brought to London by 

 Mr. Severstov, and now in Mr. Dresser's collection, is with- 

 out this conspicuous mark. I am inclined to think that at 

 no time does this ring become as broad and noticeable as 

 it is in P. mongolicus, and very likely varies greatly in extent 

 among different individuals even in adult birds, and has not 

 much importance as a specific character. 



But to the differences between the two species. On placing 

 them side by side, the first thing that will attract the observer's 

 notice, is the size and colouration of the flank feathers. These 

 in insignis are very much broader than those of Shaioi, of a most 

 brilliant golden orange, with the entire end of each feather 

 covered with bright metallic greeu. These feathers in Shaioi are 

 golden brown, with a blue spot on the tips, more like the flanks 

 of P. colcliicus, though much more brilliant. I think my plates 

 do show very clearly these differences of the flank feathers, as 

 do also those published by Mr. Gould in the Birds of Asia, 

 Part 28, from drawings by Mr. Wolf, of P. Shawl and P. 

 insignis, the latter erroneously called P. chrysomelas. 



The next point is an important one, and here I feel I 

 must apologise, for although Mr. Wolf was very careful to 

 exhibit the character in the drawing, I throuorh some 



• • • ^ 



inadvertence, omitted to mention it in my description. It 

 will be noticed that, among the scapulars of P. insiqrds, one 



