THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 209 



exceeding the others in length, graduated to the outermost which 

 are the shortest. The inner secondaries are comparatively long- 

 though not lengthened as in Argus. The sides of the face are bare; 

 the tarsi have two or more spurs on either leg and the plumage is 

 \evj soft and lax. 



The females are similar to the males but smaller, duller, and in 

 some cases less ornamented with ocelli. 



Sharpe admits six species in the genus, including in it Hume's 

 intermedius ; Ogilvie-Grant admits the same with the exception of 

 that bird. I am doubtful if napoleonis should be included in this 

 genus and would exclude it from it, leaving only the five birds 

 which are typical Peacock-Pheasants with ocelli on the upper plu- 

 mage as well as on the tail. Napoleonis seems to form a connecting 

 link between the genera Polyiolectron and Chalcurus. 



Within the limits of the present work, we have three forms of 

 Polyplectron, i.e., bicalcaratum and malaccensis, and a third whicli 

 is either gennaini or a closely allied form which will bear Hume's 

 name of intermedius. 



Key to Species. 



A. — Crest of short, hairy feathers. 



a. General colour mottled grey ... ... hicalcaratimi. 



h. General colour mottled dark blackish grey, germaini. 

 B. — Crest of pointed metallic feathers. 



c. General colour mottled buflP ... ... malacnensis . c? 



G. — No crest and feathers of crown normal 



d. General colour mottled buff ... ... malaccensis. $ 



It is rather doubtful whether the species bicalcaratum should not 



be divided into two subspecies as the birds from Burmah can be 

 separated at a glance from those of the Bhutan Dooars, Bengal and 

 Western Assam by their much more buff tint, wdiilst the birds from 

 Eastern Assam, Cachar and Sylhet are intermediate. 



If divided, their names would be : Polyplectron bicalcaratum bical- 

 caratum (Miill.) for the Western, and Polyplectron bicalcaratum 

 chinguis for the form found in N. E. India and Burmah. 



Hartert has shown (in loc cit.) that the " paon de chine" of 

 Edwards and Brisson is really the bird with two ocelli on the tail 

 feathers, and the name bicalcaratus which Linnaeus created for this 

 bird is therefore applicable to the form which has been genei'all}' 

 known as chinguis, whilst the species hitherto known as bicalcaratus 

 must bear the name malaccensis (Scop.) of 1786. 



Polyplectron bicalcaratum (Muller). 



The Grey PeacocJc-Pheasant. 



Pavo bicalcaratus. — Linn., S. Nat., I., p. 268 (1766). 



Pavo chinguis.— Mull., Suppl. to Linn. S. N., p. 121 (1776). 



