WESTERN TRAGOPAN 75 



disintegrated in appearance. The basal, downy portion of the feathers is normal, but 

 distally the barbs become thickened, stiff and spine-like, with no trace of barbules. At 

 the posterior edge of this area, the transition into the ocellated, normal ventral plumage 

 is very gradual, the first hint of the latter being a tiny spot of black pigment with a 

 speck of a white ocellus at the tip of the yellow, spiny barbs. The remainder of the 

 ventral surface has almost all the visible portion of the feathers dull black, with a good- 

 sized, subterminal round white spot. Just basal to the black area is a large zone of 

 Indian red, usually broken at the shaft, but reaching to the margin on both sides. 

 Even when the feathers are in perfect position, a portion of this colour protrudes, and 

 thus the whole of the under parts shows an irregular scattering of red, varying in 

 amount in every region. This ventral colouring extends anteriorly to the side neck 

 between the orange breast and greyish dorsal plumage. The red is wholly absent from 

 the belly, flanks and under tail-coverts, the white spot increasing in area and becoming 

 more diffuse as we proceed posteriorly. 



The weight of an adult male varies from 3 lb. 10 oz. to 4 lb. 8 oz. Mandibles 

 black, pale toward the tip ; irides hazel ; facial area bright red ; fleshy horns pale 

 blue ; gular lappet purplish blue down the centre, with the margin and deep lateral 

 indentations salmon pink ; feet and legs deep pink in the breeding season, pale fleshy 

 at other times of the year. Spurs short and stout. Length, 684-735 (709) ; expanse, 

 937; bill from nostril, 15; wing, 285; tail, 275; tarsus, 76; middle toe and claw, 

 27 mm. 



The feathering of the gular lappet of an adult male is of considerable interest. 

 Stretching the lappet to a length of about 100 mm. we see that the upper surface has a 

 very sparse sprinkling of feathers. Those on the anterior half, nearest the chin, are very 

 degenerate, showing only the bare rhachis together with an equally bare after-shaft about 

 one-third as long. Posteriorly we find a sprinkling of adventitious feathers with several 

 terminal barbs. The highest development of the featherlets of this surface of the lappet 

 occurs along the margins. Here several long barbs spring from the basal quarter of 

 the shaft, each quite densely clothed with barbules. All these featherlets originate in 

 the central dark zone, the wide, irregular marginal area being wholly bare. 



On the under surface of the lappet we find a very different condition. Here are 

 well-developed feathers scattered over the whole surface, about 10 or 12 mm. apart. 

 An interesting fact is that the feathers which sprout from the dark zone are black, while 

 those arising from the pink marginal area are red. The terminal (normally exposed) 

 area of these feathers is well developed, but the downy basal portion which, in the body 

 plumage, is long, fluffy and concealed, is here very short, in many cases a mere ragged 

 fringe of barbs along the rhachis. 



Adult Female. — Forehead plain sooty brown ; crown dark with white shaft- 

 streaks. Nape and hind neck with a decided tinge of warm orange buff, mottled with 

 black. The mantle and entire upper parts are a grizzled and mottled grey. Most of 

 the feathers show narrow whitish shaft-stripes, and lateral subterminal black ocelli. 

 These are round and most perfect on the mantle and back, while on the coverts and 

 inner secondaries they are reduced to conspicuous black marginal patches. The flights 

 show the usual pale buff bar-mottlings on the outer webs. The rectrices show little 



