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HIMALAYAN IMPEYAN PHEASANT 139 



Macintyre, Hindu Koh, p. 83. 



Donald, Jour. Bombay Nat His. Soc, XIV. p. 174. 



Pomme, Bull. Soc. d'Acclim., 1868, p. 369. 



Mitchell, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1858, p. 545. 



Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1879, p. 115. 



Pomme, Bull. Soc d'Acclim., 1868, p. 369. 



Flocard, Bull. Soc. d'Acclim., 1910, p. 98. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male. — Of the many scores of male Impeyans which I have examined no 

 two are alike. At the first intensive examination we realize that the metallic hues vary 

 even from feather to feather as well as in the zones of colour in various individuals. So 

 all detailed description is approximate only. Top and sides of the head and the face, 

 together with the elongated crest feathers, brilliant metallic green. The under surface 

 of the feathers is dead black, especially noticeable on the underside of the racket-shaped 

 tips of the crest. The greatly elongated shafts of these are not bare but fringed 

 narrowly with very short barbs expanding distally into the paddle or racket-shaped 

 extremities. These spring from the centre of the crown and exhibit considerable 

 variation both in number and degree of development. They vary from ten to twenty 

 or more. In the case of the smaller numbers, they are very distinct from all the 

 surrounding short, contour feathers, but where eighteen to twenty-two are present, there 

 are often in addition a number of imperfectly developed crest-like feathers, only half the 

 length of the typical crest, and with but slight development of the enlarged tip. 



Back and sides of the neck changeable reddish copper ; mantle golden green ; chin 

 and throat black, more or less strongly glossed with bluish green. A patch of purplish 

 iridescence on the side throat in more highly glossed individuals extends as a narrow 

 collar across the lower throat. The remainder of the upper parts usually dull brownish 

 black. From the lower side neck a line of shining metallic green extends backward 

 from the mantle and breast, and when the wing is closed this zone of colour joins the 

 bend of the wing and outer coverts, which are of the same hue. The scapulars, inter- 

 scapular region, inner wing-coverts, tertiaries and inner secondaries, rump and shorter 

 tail-coverts are, on the whole, purplish bronze, edged, especially on the posterior 

 portions of these areas, with bluish green. On the longer tail-coverts the metallic 

 green covers all the visible portion of the feathers. Back pure white. 



The secondaries are black, strongly glossed with greenish on the visible portions of 

 the outer webs ; the primaries are plain, dull, brownish black. The tail feathers are 

 uniform rufous, becoming darker toward the tips. Mandibles dark horny, with the 

 cutting edges and tips pale ; irides pale hazel brown ; orbital skin cerulean to turquoise 

 blue ; legs and feet varying from dusky to yellowish green ; claws dark. Weight varies 

 from 4 lb. 4 oz. to 5 lb. Spurs are stout, sharp and of moderate length, averaging 

 15 mm. or more. An adult male is about 700 mm. in length ; expanse, 900; bill from 

 nostril, 32 ; wing, 302 ; tail, 233 ; tarsus, 73 ; middle toe and claw, 71 mm. 



Variations of Adult Male. — Not only do we find individual feather variations 

 in abundance among male Impeyans, but sporadic differences of such importance that 

 they have been considered to be valid species. 



