THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 631 



Crossoptilon auritum auritum (Pall.) 

 Pallas^ Eared Pheasant. 



Phasianas auritus. — Pall, Zoog. Rosso. Asiat. II., p. 86 (1811) 

 Sclater, Ibis (1874) p. 170. 



Crossoptilon auritum. — Grray, Hand-L. Birds, II., p. 259 (1870); 

 Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1871) p. 399 ; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 (1871) p. 495 ; Elliot, Monog. Phasianid^ 1, pi. 17 (1872) ; Prjev., 

 Mongolia, Strand Tangtit, II., p. 121 ; pi. XX., fig. 1 (egg) id., in 

 Rowley Orn. Misc. II., p. 420 (1877); David and Oustalet, Ois. 

 Chine, p. 406, pi. 108 (1877) ; Prjev., Reisen in Tibet, p. 204 (1884) ; 

 Pleske Bull., Acad. St. Petersb., XIII., p. 297(1892); Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. Birds B. M., XXII., p. 295 (1893) ; id., Hand-L. Game 

 Birds 1, p. 255 (1895); Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gan-su, p. 24; 

 Styan,Ibis (1899) p. 298 ; Dresser, Manual Pal. B.p. 673 (1903) ; 

 Parrot Filchner, Exped. China-Tibet, p. 132 (1908); (egg figured 

 of. Prjev., Mongol, i.. Strand Tangut, ii., p., 121, pi. xx., fig. 1). 



Crossoptilon ccerulescens. — David, Ms. Milne-Edwards Comp. 

 Rendu, LXX., p. 538 (1870) ; id., Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), V., 

 p. 308 (1870); David, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Bull., VII., p. 11 (1871) ; 

 Sclater, Ibis (1871) p. 370. 



Crossoptilum auritum. — Sharpe, Hand-L. vol. I., p. 35 (1898). 



Vernacidar names. — Ushasty Fasan (Kansu) ; Hara-takia (Mon- 

 gol) ; Shan-dgi (Chinese) ; Shariama (Tanquto). 



Description. — Adult Male and Female. — Crown of head from fore- 

 head to nape velvety black ; chin, throat, extreme foreneck and 

 lengthened ear-coverts white. Above clear slaty blue-grey, the 

 feathers of the neck next the ear-coverts darker, almost black, with 

 the bases of the feathers next the crown white, the white showing 

 as a thin indistinct line. Wing quills brown, remainder of visible 

 closed wing like the back, the inner secondaries glossed with purple 

 blue ; below like the back, but somewhat ashy on the vent, 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts ; tail with the long decomposed 

 central feathers and those next them dark grey with black tips and 

 edges glossed with Prussian blue ; outer five or six pairs of feathers 

 white with the terminal third glossy blue-black, the pair next them 

 mottled black and white at the base. 



Colours of soft parts. — Irides yellow and brown, yellow-brown, 

 or reddish yellow^ ; orbital skin and eyelids scarlet ; legs scarlet or 

 deep red, spurs pale horny, tipped darker ; bill reddish horny. 



Measurements. — Total length from 33" to 40", according to the 

 length of the tail, which varies greatly in both sexes. Wing from 

 11-25" (=286-7 mm.) to 12-75" (=323-8 mm.); bill at front about 

 1-5" (= 38-1 mm.) and from gape about 1-75" (= 44-4 mm.) ; 

 tarsus about 3-5" {= 88*9 mm.). The tail varies from about 18" 



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