CHEER PHEASANT 65 



On the sides the black persists as irregular blotches, and on the posterior sides and 

 thighs it increases as two black bars. 



Mandibles pale brownish horn, sometimes more or less yellow ; facial skin increas- 

 mgly crimson as the breeding season approaches ; iris reddish brown ; legs and feet 

 pale lead colour. Weight, 2 lbs. to 2 lbs. 10 ozs. Length, 660 mm. ; extent of wings, 

 680; bill from nostril, 24; wing, 230; tail, 383; tarsus, 63; middle toe and claw, 61. 

 Spurs, low blunt scalules. 



Chick in Down. — A very young Cheer chick shows quite distinct colour zones 

 separating head and body. The centre of the crown, widening posteriorly and ending 

 on the nape, is dark chocolate or mahogany. Obliquely downward from the posterior 

 corner of the eye, a sharp, narrow, jet-black line extends to the ear-coverts, where it 

 expands, and then, narrowing again, continues back down the side of the neck. 

 Elsewhere the head above is rich creamy buff, paling on the lower face. Abruptly 

 at the lower neck the body-down becomes a grizzled grey, with dark chocolate on 

 shoulder-spots, anterior half of the wing, and entire centre of the back. This latter 

 area is trisected by two lateral lines of pale grey, reaching back almost to the tail- 

 down, which in turn has a warm buffy tinge. 



The buff of the face pales to a creamy white on the chin and throat, the remainder 

 of the under parts being more of a greyish white. The chick measures : length, 100 mm. ; 

 bill from nostril, 6; wing, 30; tarsus, 21 ; middle toe and claw, 18. 



Juvenile Plumage. — Lores, broad superciliary and large sub-ocular patch, chin, 

 throat, and side neck pure white. Crown dark brown, bordered on occiput with buff, 

 the feathers being normal in shape with as yet no hint of a crest. Mantle, scapulars, 

 upper back and tertiaries rufous or greyish buff with a very wide, prominent, tapering, 

 white shaft-stripe, the distal half of this being bordered with black. Wing-coverts 

 without the rufous tinge, with a very narrow shaft-stripe and broad terminal margin 

 of white, and a stain of rust-colour just basal to the latter. Secondaries a finely mottled 

 brownish ; background of the primaries clear blackish brown, all of the flight-feathers 

 with pale buff cross-bars, chiefly on the outer web, very narrow on the secondaries, and 

 much wider on the primaries. Lower back and rump of disintegrated, patternless 

 feathers. Tail mottled like the secondaries, with rather indistinct bars. Lower parts, 

 beginning abruptly at the neck, sandy buff with a wide, white shaft-stripe. On the 

 sides the buff deepens and the stripe widens until the general appearance approximates 

 that of the mantle. On the lower breast and belly the buff disappears, posteriorly 

 giving place altogether to pure white. Bill from nostril, 11 mm.; wing, 131; tarsus, 

 48 ; middle toe and claw, 37. 



First Year Plumage, Male. — The young birds, after their moult from the 

 juvenile dress, appear in general like the adults, but they are considerably smaller, 

 and on close examination differ in a number of characters. They have considerably 

 less chestnut in the tail-feathers, less visible black on the ventral plumage, and much 

 more yellow buff on those parts, in this respect resembling the female. On the upper . 

 surface we find much less metallic green, often confined to the central part of the mantle. 



VOL. Ill K 



