WHITE-TAILED WATTLED PHEASANT 163 



First Year Plumage. — The change from the juvenile to the plumage of the 

 first year is marked chiefly by the complete loss of the ocellus pattern. The change 

 in the dorsal plumage of the body is very slight. Instead of the black vermiculated 

 pale buff feathers we find warm reddish-buff tones, the contrast showing the new 

 feathers as generally darker and warmer, with a decided terminal fringe. This, 

 however, has no tinge of the ultimate steel-blue, but is rather a purplish or wine colour, 

 rather indefinite in tone, but clearly distinct from the remainder of the feather. This 

 is especially marked on the lower mantle and back. The new secondaries are much 

 darker, showing a reduction in the rufous vermiculation, this being confined to the 

 outer two-thirds of the outer web. The tail-feathers are more variable, always pre- 

 dominately chestnut, but in some individuals with a great deal of black mottling. They 

 are considerably larger and broader than the juvenile rectrices. 



The change on the ventral surface is from pale buff to darker rufous feathers, with 

 more distinct irregular, narrow cross-bars. Anteriorly, on the upper breast, the rufous 

 darkens, and in certain lights a distinct crimson tinge may be observed on the fringe, 

 prophetic of the strong crimson collar of the succeeding plumages. The dorsal head 

 plumage comes in darker, but the chin and throat are still pale ashy brown. The facial 

 area loses some of the tuftlets of tiny feathers, and the wattles become distinct fleshy 

 lobes. In no newly-moulted bird in first-year plumage have I observed any trace of 

 steel-blue margins, only the darkened or crimson-tinged fringe which I have mentioned. 

 Weight, i| lbs. Length, 488; bill from nostril, 17; wing, 215; tail, 145; tarsus, 85; 

 middle toe and claw, 60 mm. 



Young Male in Transition, Moulting into Second Year Plumage. — A 

 bird shot in June is in full moult. The wattles are not much further developed than 

 in the younger birds, but the face is somewhat more bare of feathers. At this moult 

 the juvenile ninth and tenth primaries are renewed for the first time. In this individual 

 the thirteenth secondary of the right wing and two back feathers have been lost by 

 accident and renewed a month or more earlier, and the new feathers show narrow but 

 clear-cut steel-blue margins, very conspicuous among the rufous and black vermiculated 

 feathers, the blue colour evidently becoming strongly developed in any feather which 

 grows in a few months after the moult from the juvenile. 



Second Year Male. — The male White-tailed Pheasant after its second annual 

 moult bears quite a close resemblance in body plumage to the adult, but still carries 

 a chestnut tail. The principal difference in the contour plumage is the much less 

 development of the convex, terminal band of shining blue. The crimson of the neck 

 and anterior body consequently is less concealed, and stands out very conspicuously. 

 In fact, the rich crimson or wine colour is at this stage very pronounced on all the 

 dorsal plumage, the terminal blue bands being very narrow. The feathers of the crown 

 are dark purplish-black, considerably mottled with rufous. The wing-feathers show 

 no trace of white. As early as two months after this second annual moult is completed, 

 if any of the chestnut rectrices or upper tail-coverts are lost, they will be replaced by 

 pure white feathers, or with the white marred only by a terminal patch of dark brown. 

 And if this be an outer tail-feather, the web will be very defective and much of the 



