PUCRASIA 



KOKLASS PHEASANTS 



Order GALLIFORMES 



Family PHASIANIDAE 



Subfamily PHASIANINAE 



Genus PUCRASIA 



The Koklass Pheasants are birds of medium size, and impossible to place with 

 any certainty in a linear scheme of classification. They show traces of resemblance to 

 several groups, and in spite of the moderate length of tail of the cocks, perhaps come as 

 close to the genus Syrmaticus as I have defined it, as to any other. The syrinx is 

 extremely close to that of Phasianus. The head in both sexes is entirely feathered. 

 The male has an elongated crest, and, owing to the posterior portion being of a different 

 colour and sprouting rather densely behind the ear-coverts, this portion has been 

 considered to be more of the nature of ear-tufts than a crest. This posterior crest, 

 however, on examination is seen to extend clear across the occiput. The crest in the 

 female is shorter. 



Most of the body feathers are lanceolate. The tail consists of sixteen feathers, and 

 is extremely graduated and wedge-shaped ; the middle pair are slightly the longest, and 

 about twice as long as the outer pair. The tail-coverts simulate the tail itself in their 

 colour, great length and gradation. 



The wings appear exceedingly long and pointed for a pheasant, owing to the fact 

 that the primaries extend well beyond the secondaries when the wing is closed. The 

 I St primary is considerably longer than the 2nd, which is about equal to the 8th ; the 

 4th is slightly the longest of the series. The tarsus is slightly longer than the middle 

 toe and claw. 



The sexes are unlike, but with not nearly so great a difference as exists in the case 

 of many other pheasants. The male shows more solid, concentrated areas of colour, 

 such as the bicoloured crest, the green head, and the solid chestnut ventral line. The 

 male is armed with a moderately long and stout pair of spurs. 



PUCRASIA 



Type 

 Eulophus Less, (nee Geoffr., Hym. 1764) Comp. Buffon, 1836, VII. p. 354 . . P. nipalensis. 



Pucrasia Gray, List Gen. Birds 1 841, p. 79 P. macrolopha. 



Gallophasis Hodgs. J. As. Soc. Beng. 1843, XII. pt. I. p. 313 . . . .P. nipalensis. 

 Lophotetrax Cab. Ersch u. Grub. Encycl. sec. 3, 1846, XXII. p. 144 . . .P. macrolopha. 

 Lochmophasis Heine, Nomencl. Mus. Hein. 1890, p. 298 P. nipalensis. 



3 



