142 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



interspaces of the two central pairs are much clouded and mottled with rufous buff, 

 especially toward the sides of the webs. 



Chin and throat pure white, feathers of the side neck with more brown colour as we 

 approach the upper plumage of the head. Upper breast like mantle, dark brown with 

 a wide central area of pale buff split by a dark shaft-stripe. The lower breast shows a 

 second pair of buff lines, and from here posteriorly the distinct markings disintegrate 

 into an irregular barring or indefinite mottling. On the central feathers of the lower 

 breast and belly a broad greyish-white shaft zone is conspicuous. The under tail-coverts 

 are brownish black, with two oblique lines and a shaft-stripe of rufous, and a very broad 

 white tip. 



Weight about 4 lb. 8 oz. Mandibles rather pale horn colour, the upper darker, legs 

 and feet pale yellowish but variable, claws darker; irides dark brown. Length, 635 ; 

 expanse, 890; wing, 275; tail, 190; tarsus, 68; middle toe and claw, 66 mm. 



Natal Down. — Crown dark rufous. A short line back from base of culmen, 

 lores, three short lines on facial area, ear-coverts and side of the occiput black. These 

 markings are rather variable, however, and in birds of the same brood I have found 

 considerable differences. Superciliary back over side neck, and facial area buff. Mantle 

 and wing down grizzled rufous, back and rump purer dark rufous or chocolate, with two 

 pairs of lateral pale buff lines, the outer pair often partly merged with the ventral 

 colouring. Infra-loral line buffy cream. Chin and throat smoky white ; sides of throat 

 darker ; remainder of under parts dirty buffy white, flanks much darker. Bill from 

 nostril, 8 ; wing, 45 ; tarsus, 20 ; middle toe and claw, 23 mm. Iris dark hazel ; legs 

 and feet bluish slate ; mandibles dark, paler at tip. 



Juvenile Plumage. — Neither the down feathers of the head and neck nor the 

 outer two primaries are quite as much delayed in their moult in the Impeyan as 

 in the tragopans, although the difference is distinguishable only in a large series 

 of specimens. The chin and throat, however, retain the primitive down for a very long 

 time, the nape being the next in order of retention. When these small areas are the only 

 patches of youthful plumage discernible, and the entire body is well clad in the juvenile 

 garb, we find primaries 9 and 10 about 18 and 40 mm. out of their respective sheaths. 

 The remaining juvenile primaries still show signs of growth with the exception of 

 3 and 4, which are full grown. Nos. i and 2 are already impatient, newly sprouted, first 

 year flight feathers, No. i having broken loose for a distance of 40 mm., while No. 2 is 

 yet an unbroken sheath. So swiftly does the garb of the little bird change, that down, 

 juvenile and first year are all apparent at one time. 



The juvenile plumage, especially on the upper portions of the body, is remarkable 

 for its simplicity of pattern ; a long, narrow, pale buff shaft-stripe bounded by black 

 being the chief character. This is found from the forehead to the very longest wing- 

 coverts. It is, however, absent or indefinite on the feathers of the lower back and rump, 

 which are pale yellowish buff with a little dark mottling, anticipating the very specialized 

 colouring of this area in the adult. On the back and coverts the simplicity of the pattern 

 is somewhat interrupted by crossbars of rufous, the most anterior of which frames two 

 circles of black. The secondaries show four to six crossbars of buff which, however. 



