REEVES'S PHEASANT 155 



The two central pairs of rectrices are exceedingly long and narrow. They are grey 

 along the shaft half of the webs, changing rather abruptly into golden brown on the 

 marginal half, this colour dying out toward the extremity. 



From the shaft spring wavy, broad black marks, which, toward the extremity, are 

 complete cross-bars, containing a chestnut spot on each web. Proximally these bars 

 become imperfect, reaching only half across the web to the margin of the grey area, and 

 each half curving acutely inward, with a dark chestnut spot at the lateral extremity. 

 In most individuals the corresponding marks on each web become precisely alternate, 

 although rarely the cross-bar regularity remains. On the lateral rectrices the chestnut 

 increases on the outer web, disappearing on the inner web simultaneously with the 

 vanishing of the marginal brown and the extension of the black bars clear to the edge 

 of the web. On the extreme outer rectrices the golden brown from the outer margin 

 has spread almost or quite over the entire feather. The under side of the rectrices is 

 very different from the upper, the light grey being dusky or quite black. 



On the ventral surface of the body there is a narrow collar of black-edged golden 

 beneath the black neckband, but almost at once the visible portion of the pectoral 

 plumage becomes white, while a broad terminal chestnut fringe displaces the black band 

 into a sub-terminal position. This pattern characterizes all the feathers of the breast 

 and sides, the terminal fringe becoming very long on the latter area. On the posterior 

 sides the white gives place to gold and the black band disappears. On the concealed 

 portion of the feathers we find one or two black cross-bars more or less perfectly 

 developed. The centre of the belly, flanks, thighs and under tail-coverts are dead 

 black. 



Adult Female. — Central crown and occiput black, broadly margined with chest- 

 nut. Nape with the black predominant. Facial featherlets and ear-coverts black, the 

 latter streaked with rufous buff. Forehead, lores, lower eyelid and plumage around 

 facial area, chin, throat well down and a broad collar around the hind neck creamy buff. 



Hind neck black, with broad olive-grey extremity, a wide tapering white shaft- 

 stripe, and the base and lateral margins chestnut. Posteriorly the black occupies the 

 whole of the web on each side of the white central stripe, the chestnut becoming 

 altogether basal. 



On the upper back, scapulars and coverts, the shaft-streak narrows and becomes 

 buff, the terminal portion and outer webs becoming more or less variegated and mottled 

 with black and buff on an olive or grey background, while the black is confined to the 

 more basal portion of the inner web. 



The secondaries are black with pale buff cross-bars, much mottled, however, and 

 variegated. The primaries are brownish black, marked with strong rufous bars on the 

 inner, and pale buff on the outer webs. 



The lower back and rump are dark smoky brown, vermiculated with bufT on the 

 visible portion of the feathers, save for a tapering shaft-stripe. The rump is greyer in 

 general tone. 



The upper tail-coverts are greyish white with much vermiculation and a well- 

 marked black shaft-stripe. The central rectrices, which are long and tapering, are a 

 grizzled, clouded grey, with faint shaft nodes of buffy brown. As we proceed outwards 



