22 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



fairly regular chestnut cross-bars, dying out on the outer flight-feathers, which are 

 unmarked except for a wide outer margin of pale buff. 



The shorter tail-coverts are mottled sandy and black, with pale buff cross-bars. 

 On the longer ones there is an increase of rufous, and an emphasizing of the pale bars, 

 which on the central rectrices are proximally outlined in black. With the exception 

 of this central pair, the tail-feathers are rich chestnut, except for the inner web and 

 a broad zone near the tip. The terminal margin is pure white. 



The breast, sides and flanks are in general like the mantle, with dark brown 

 outlining the rufous or buffy central barbed-arrow, and a border and tip of grey. 

 Posteriorly on the sides, the definiteness of the pattern is destroyed by mottling. The 

 black is much reduced on the lower breast and belly, the colour of these parts being 

 in some individuals almost solid pinkish buff, paling into whitish at the extremity of 

 the feathers. 



The under tail-coverts are rich chestnut with a broad tip of pure white, the two 

 colours being separated by a more or less broken cross-bar of black. 



The upper mandible is dark horn ; the lower yellowish. The legs and feet are pale 

 plumbeous or horny grey, dark brown in dried skins. Irides hazel. Weight i lb. 

 ID ozs. to 2 lbs. 



Bill from nostril, 15 mm.; length, 525 to 560; expanse, 700 to 725; wing, 215; 

 tail, 200 ; tarsus, 6^ ; middle toe and claw, 58. 



Juvenile Plumage. — The crown is dull brown with no crest apparent. Chin and 

 throat white, the lower throat and neck with broad, dark-brown tips. Lores and face 

 whitish, with a broad brown border; posteriorly on the ear-coverts the white is 

 reduced to a terminal shaft-streak. Nape white, with three round dark spots down 

 each web. On the hind neck the white becomes buff and the spots form transverse 

 bands. 



Mantle, scapulars, back and wing-coverts yellow or olive-brown, with a long, 

 narrow, pale buff shaft-streak, and the inner webs mottled, or solid black, or with a 

 terminal spot of this colour. In the feathers down the median line of the back the 

 black is equal on each web and extensive, limiting the yellow brown to a narrow margin 

 and to the basal portion. 



The ventral surface, from breast to under tail-coverts, shows an almost uniform 

 pattern of chestnut, with two large tapering lines of black down each web. 



In a young male which is well on in the moult into the first year plumage the 

 inner eight primaries are all new. No. 8 being only 25 mm. out of its sheath, while 

 Nos. 9 and 10 have not yet completed their delayed growth. 



The secondaries are all new, although the three or four innermost ones are still 

 in active growth. No. i shows its very long delay by being only half-grown at this 

 late period. This is unquestionably the last flight-feather to be shed. 



The sixteen tail-feathers are all new and growing actively, but the appearance 

 on the whole is of a double tail. This is due to the fact of the extreme precocial 

 development of the upper tail-coverts, five pairs of which are actually longer than the 

 true tail, reaching a length of 145 mm. as compared with the 125 mm. of the tail itself. 

 In colour and pattern this pseudo tail exactly corresponds to the central pair of rectrices, 



