1912] Beehe: New Blood Pheasants. 191 



latitude 28° north, and longitude about 99° east, thus giving a 

 definite location for the species. 



The bird combines some of the characters of cruentus with the 

 brilliant green wing patch of geoffroyi, but it differs in many ways 

 from both. From Himalayan birds it at once stands apart as 

 almost lacking the white or cream color on the anterior part of the 

 body, in the remarkable amount of crimson, and in the geoffroyi 

 type of wing. 



I take great pleasure in naming this well-marked species in 

 honor of Col. Anthony R. Kuser, whose interest and generosity 

 have made possible these pheasant researches. 



Heretofore we have known of no specimen of Himalayan Blood 

 Pheasant east of extreme western Bhutan, while Ithaginis geoffroyi 

 ranges through southeastern Tibet and touches the extreme tip of 

 Yunnan. It has been remarked more than once that the eastern 

 specimens of Ithaginis cruentus differed appreciably from those 

 ranging more to the west, chiefly in the large amount of crimson 

 streaking on the breast of the western or Nepal birds, this color 

 being absent or very faintly indicated on birds from southern 

 Sikhim. 



After careful consideration, and for a number of reasons I 

 think this fact worthy of permanent record and accordingly estab- 

 lish a sub-specific designation for the eastern and more southerly 

 form. 



Ithaginis cruentus cruentus (Hardwicke) 

 The male type specimen from Nepal, named Phasianus cruentus 

 by Hardwicke in 1822, and now in the British Museum, is typically 

 of the heavily streaked, western form. The crimson is very heavy 

 and abundant on the breast, starting well up on the lower throat, 

 while on the center line of the breast and laterally as well, the 

 crimson spots are scattered over much of the ventral plumage, 

 traces being present even on the long flank thigh feathers. 



Ithaginis cruentus affinis subsp. nov. 

 Looking at a large series of Blood Pheasant skins from Nepal 

 and northern Native Sikhim, the eye at once notes three distinct 

 zones of crimson on the ventral surface, chin, mid-breast and under 

 tail coverts. A second series of birds collected in southern Sikhim 

 and "near Darjeeling" shows the central zone absent or nearly so. 



