99 
April 11, 1854. 
Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following papers were read :— 
1. DestriptTions or Two New Species or PucrRASI!A. 
By Joun Gou.p, F.R.S. erc. 
Mr. Gould having recently found in the rich stores of the Kast 
India Company, at their house in Leadenhall Street, a new species 
of Pheasant, of the same form but remarkably different from the 
Pucras Pheasant, took the earliest opportunity, with Dr. Horsfield’s 
permission, of bringing it under the notice of the Society. This fine 
bird, of which two specimens have been sent to the East India Com- 
pany from Kafiristan by Dr. William Griffith, may be at once recog- 
nized by the uniform chestnut colouring of its mantle, breast and 
flanks, which has suggested the specific name of 
PUCRASIA CASTANEA. 
Forehead, cheeks, chin and lengthened portion of the crest dark 
shining green ; hinder part of the head and the shorter portion of the 
crest dull sandy-buff, the two colours blending on the occiput ; on 
each side of the neck an oval patch of white; lanceolate feathers of 
the neck, both above and below, breast and flanks, deep chestnut ; 
feathers of the upper part of the back black, stained with chestnut 
on the outer web and margined with grey; lower part of the back 
and rump grey, fading into white on the edges, and with a narrow 
streak of blackish-brown down the shaft; wing-coverts dark brown, 
largely edged with greyish and ashy-brown ; primaries brown on the 
inner margins, cream-white on the outer ones; feathers of the lower 
part of the abdomen brownish-black, edged with whitish ; under tail- 
coverts chestnut, with a black line down the centre, and fringed with 
white at the tip; upper tail-coverts ashy-grey, with a broad mark of 
blackish-brown down the centre, but not extending to the tip; tail- 
feathers black, the central ones broadly margined with grey freckled 
with black, the remainder fringed with whitish at the tip ; bill black ; 
feet horny-brown. 
- Total length, 23 inches; wing, 93; tail, 103; tarsi, 25. 
Hab. Kafiristan. 
Remark.-—This species is altogether a stouter and larger bird than 
Pucrasia macrolopha. 
Mr. Gould further remarked that, upon a careful examination and 
comparison of the Pheasants from Nepaul, which have usually been 
considered as identical with the P. macrolopha, with true examples 
of that species, he found them to differ so considerably, that he felt 
justified in characterizing the Nepaulese birds as distinct, under the 
name of 
