THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 391 



Colours of soft parts. — "Cere, gape, palate, intense coral red to crim- 

 son ; orbital skin scarlet to orange vermilion ; bill black ; iris red- 

 brown, in others pale clear hazel ; legs and spurs like the cere, 

 crimson; claws dusky." (Hume.) 



Measurements. — "Length 17-75 to 19-5; expanse 22-5 to 2G-0 ; 

 wing 8-0 to 9-0 ; tail &b to 7-0 ; tarsus 275 to 3-0 ; bill 0-81 to 

 0-87 : weight 1 lb. 1 oz. to 1 lb. 4- o-i." (Hume.) 



The large series of cruentus examined by me in the British 

 Museum and elsewhere have wings from 7-6" (=193-0 mm.) to 9-2" 

 (=233-7 mm.) The bill at front about -80" (=203 mm.), and 

 from gape about 1*0" (=25-4). The other measurements agree with 

 Hume's. The number of spurs vary from 3 to 4, or even 5. The 

 number often varying on the two legs of the same individual. 



Adult Female. — Forehead, sides of the head, chin and throat 

 rufescent ochre ; anterior crest and nape slaty grey, toning off into 

 the colours of the surrounding parts. Remainder of upper parts, 

 wings and tail rufescent earth-brown, finely vermiculated all over 

 with dark brown, more boldly on the tail and primaries than else- 

 where. Outer tail feathers more rufescent, and still more boldly 

 marked. Lower surface bright rufous brown, immaculate on foreneck 

 and breast, and vermiculated finely with dark brown on flanks, sides 

 of the abdomen and thighs, under tail coverts the same, but darker 

 and more closely vermiculated or barred with dark brown. Primaries 

 brown, more or less vermiculated in the outer webs ; inner second- 

 aries like the back, but more boldly marked. 



Colours of soft parts. — -"Bill black ; cere and orbital skin 

 carmine yellow; legs intense carmine; claws dusky, iris brown." 

 (Hume.) 



Measurements. — "Length 16-5 to 17-0 ; expanse 21-0 to 23-0; 

 wing 7-62; tail 5-5 to 6-0; tarsus 2-6 to 2-75; bill 0-8 to 0-9; 

 weight 12 oz. to 1 lb. 1 oz." (Hume.) 



Yoimg Male. — According to Jerdon, the young males, when only 

 half grown, have the plumage. of the adult male, only less brilliant, 

 and the base of the bill is coloured red like the cere, only more 

 5^ellowish. 



Quite young birds of both sexes have the orbital skin, and bare 

 area of the face a fleshy grey, and a red bill. Hodgson notes : 



" One specimen that I obtained in September, and which 

 " was by dissection a female, shewed the anomaly of a deep 

 " coraline red bill. Later, I got other specimens shewing the 

 " same peculiarity; all these had the cheeks fleshy grey. It is 

 " evident to me that the red bill is a sign of non-age, and that 

 "it becomes gradually black." 



Distribution. — The Blood Pheasant is found throughout the 

 Northern higher ranges of mountains in Nepal, lorohally as far 

 West as the Gogra River. Eastwards it extends along Sikhim into 



