66 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



This green appears first not on the sub-terminal black band, but in irregular spots and 

 lines on the terminal bluish-white mantle fringe. 



A most interesting character present in every male of this age which I have 

 examined is found upon all the dorsal feathers, from the nuchal plumage to the longest 

 wing-coverts. This is a conspicuous, terminal, central spot of shining golden rufous. 

 The spurs at this age are short, but sharp. Bill from nostril, 25 mm. ; wing, 238 ; 

 tail, 385 ; tarsus, 66 ; middle toe and claw, 58. 



EARLY HISTORY 



The Cheer pheasant was first brought to the attention of science by Major-General 

 Hardwicke in the Transactions of the London Linnaean Society for 1827, five years 

 after he described the male blood pheasant. Besides the actual description of the bird, 

 he appends a few facts which are of interest as showing the sum total of our knowledge 

 of the bird at that time, and, indeed, for many years afterwards. " The local name of 

 this bird is the Cheer. It is a native of the Almorah hills, on the north-eastern boundary 

 of Hindostan, and is about the size of the impeyan pheasant of Latham. It is remark- 

 ably bold, and fights with great vigour on the least irritation, at the same time raising 

 its feathers and prating with a noise which resembles the word Ttickraa, Tuckraa, 

 several times repeated. . . . This bird bears the Bengal climate very well, and with 

 little care and trouble might be brought alive to England." 



Hardwicke very naturally placed his newly-described pheasant in the all-inclusive 

 Linnaean genus Phasianus, and in this he was followed by many writers until recently, 

 when most authorities have realized that a separate genus is well deserved. 



SYNONYMY 



Phasianus wallichii Hardwicke, Tr. Linn. Soc. XV. 1827, p. 166 [Almorah Hill] ; Hodgson, in Gray's Zool. 

 Misc. 1844, P- 85 ; id. Icon. ined. in Brit. Mus., Gall, pi, 12 bis, nos. 76-78 ; Gray, List of Birds, pt. HI. Gall. 1844, 

 p. 24; id. Gen. B., HL 1845, p. 497 ; id. Cat. Hodgs., ed. L 1846, p. 124; Hutton, J. As, Soc. Beng. XVH. pt. 2 

 1848, p. 695; Blyth, Cat. Mus. As. Soc. 1849, p. 245; Adams, Proc. Zool, Soc. 1858, p. 499 [W. Himalayas]; 

 Mitchell, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 545, pi. 147, fig. i, and pi. 149, fig. 4; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 235 [Kumaon] ; Jerdon, 

 Birds India, III. 1863, p, 527 ; Sclater, List of Phas. 1863, p, 5 ; Gray, List Gallinae Brit. Mus, 1867, p. 28 ; Adams, 

 Wanderings of Naturalist in India, 1867, p. 91 ; Tytler, Ibis, 1868, p. 203 [Simla to Mussooree] ; Beavan, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 380 [Simla]; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 628; Gray, Hand-list Birds, II. 1870, p. 258; Elliot, 

 Monogr. Phas., II., 1872, pi. X. [text] ; Hume, N. & E. Ind. B. 1873, p. 524; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 464 ; 

 Marshall, B. Nests India 1877, p. 59 ; Hume and Marsh, Game-birds India, I. 1878, p. 169, pi. ; Scully, Str. F., VIII. 

 ^'^79, P- 345 [Nepal] ; Sclater, Proc, Zool. Soc. 1879, P- ii5; Garrod, Proc, Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 364; Marshall, Ibis, 

 1884, p. 423 [Chamba] ; Stolzmann, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 431 ; Stewart, Zoologist (3), X. 1886, p, 440 ; Gates, 

 ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs, III. 1890, p. 412 ; Evans, Ibis, 1891, p. ']6; Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1904, p. 130; 

 Mitchell, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1911, p. 421. 



Lophophorus wallichii Lesson, Man. d'Orn., II. 1828, p. 179 ; Griffith, ed. Cuv., III. 1829, p. 15 ; Vigne, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc, 1841, p. 6 [Chamba], 



Phasianus staceii Vigors, Phil. Mag. 1831, p, 232 ; id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, p. 35. 



Catreus wallichii Gould, Cent. B. Himal. 1832, pi. 6Z [text] ; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 205 ; Gould, B. 

 Asia, VII. 1865, pi, 18 ; Saint-Hilare, Bull, Soc. d'Acclim., VII. 1870, p. 134; Grant, Cat. Game-birds Brit. Mus., 

 XXII. 1893, p. 317; Grant, Hand-book Game-birds, I. 1897, p. i ; Blanford, Fauna Brit. India, Birds, IV. 1898, 

 p. 82 ; Gates, Game-birds India, 1. 1898, p. 293 ; Sharpe, Hand-list Genera and Species Birds, 1. 1899, p. 37 ; Nehrkorn, 

 Kat, der Eiersammlung, 1899, p, 193 ; Gates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus., I. 1901, p. 56 ; Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Grn. 

 Club, XIV. 1904, p. 58 ; Finn, Avicultural Mag. (3), I. 1910, p. 129 ; Finn, Game-birds India and Asia, 1911, p. 51 ; 

 Heinroth, Jour, fiir Grn. 1911, p. 355 ; Baker, Jour. Bombay Nat. His, Soc, XXVI. 1918, p, i. 



