192 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society. [I; 10 



For example, in one such series, only six out of sixteen birds showed 

 superficial traces of the crimson color, in the majority this hue 

 being represented only by faint rusty stains on a few of the feathers. 



In the present sub-species there is also a decided reduction 

 in the crimson fringe on the upper tail-coverts and rectrices. A 

 constant character separating the two forms is that in cruentus 

 afflnis the two outer pairs of tail feathers wholly lack the crimson, 

 while in cruentus cruentus only the outer pair lacks this color, the 

 second pair being invariably tinged and often fringed with crimson. 

 There is no very decided differentiation in size, although the average 

 of measurements of a large number of specimens shows the typical 

 cruentus form to be slightly smaller than affinis. 



As type of this sub-species I designate an adult male, collected 

 in British Sikhim, Kuser-Beebe Collection, No. 387. This bird will 

 ultimately be included in the collection presented by Col. Kuser to 

 the American Museum in New York City. 



. It is important to note that many Blood Pheasants have 

 been collected and sent to Museums with the simple locality " Dar- 

 jeeling," and a number of these are more typically cruentus than 

 afflnis. This species has never existed in the vicinity of Darjeeling 

 or even in the Darjeeling district, and the supposition is that these 

 particular specimens were collected far north as the Singhaleela 

 Range, which forms the divide between Nepal and Sikhim. Birds 

 from this range with direct communication northward around the 

 slopes of Kinchinjunga with the central Nepalese mountains we 

 should expect to be more typical of cruentus than affinis. 



In regard to the females, those from Nepal show on the whole 

 much more crimson than birds from Sikhim. Taking the character 

 of a distinct crimson band around the facial area and a noticeable 

 crimson wash or tinge on the chin and throat, the proportion of its 

 presence in typical cruentus from Nepal is about 85%, as against 

 10% of occurrence in southern Sikhim birds and even this small 

 percentage is based on doubtfully labelled specimens. 



Even more diagnostic a character is the crimson color on the 

 margins of the rectrices, which I have never found absent from a 

 Nepalese female, while of southern Sikhim birds not one in ten 

 has the faintest trace. A typical affinis female is slightly greyer 

 in general tone than the western form, this being especially notice- 

 able on the lesser wing feathers, where the lighter markings are 



