Vol. xxi.] 24 



when P. sosmmerringi, P. s. scintillans, and P. s. ijima were 

 examined it would be found that the tail-feathers numbered 

 18, while in other respects they agreed with Calophasis. 

 The male of P. mikado possessed 16 tail-feathers, and in 

 general appearance (apart from colour) it resembled that of 

 P . soemmerringi ; the female was, however, more nearly allied 

 to that of P. humice, and there remained only the absence of 

 ear-tufts and the differently formed rump-feathers to dis- 

 tinguish Calophasis from Phasianus. He considered that these 

 characters were too slight to be of generic value, but if the 

 number of tail-feathers was added to these two characters, 

 P. scemmerringi should be placed in a separate genus {Grapho- 

 phasianus, Eeichenb.). Ornithologists did not admit the 

 number of tail-feathers to be of sufficient value to divide the 

 genus Perdix, and he was therefore reluctantly obliged to 

 come to the conclusion that all the true Pheasants should be 

 retained in one genus {Phasianus), which should include the 

 following species and subspecies : — 



1. Phasianus colchicus, with numerous subspecies. 



2. Phasianus reevesi. 



3. Phasianus ellioti. 



4. Phasianus humi^, with 2 subspecies. 



5. Phasianus scemmerringi, with 3 subspecies. 



6. Phasianus mikado. 



Males and females of the following species were 

 exhibited : — 



Phasianus mikado, P. scemmerringi, P. s. scintillans, P. s. 

 ijimcs, P. ellioti, P. humice hurmanicus, and a male of P. humiae. 



Mr. Rothschild added : — '' 1 shall, no doubt, be criticized 

 by my fellow ornithologists for not admitting the number of 

 tail-feathers to be of generic value in Phasianus, while I do 

 admit it to be so in the Fern-birds, Bowdleria and Sphenceacus. 

 If, however, Sphenoeacus and Bowdleria are examined, it Mill 

 be found that a number of other differences exist which 

 are sufficient to separate the two genera. In the case of 

 Phasianus there are no characters, except the number of 

 tail-feathers, by which P. soemmerringi can be generically 



