34 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



No two cocks are exactly alike. The body feathers in general are banded with rufous 

 and black, the rufous becoming pale buff on the terminal band and on the primaries. 

 The lower back and rump are rufous brown, mottled with black, and tipped with a 

 plain, rufous band. The head and neck show varying degrees of the black, green 

 and white of the adult. There are glints of bluish and greenish gloss on the coverts 

 and inner secondaries. In some individuals the tail is the most advanced region in 

 pattern and colouring, approximating that of the adult but very much shorter. Or 

 in more backward birds the immature browns and buffs may dominate. The 

 direction of advance is invariably from the outer rectrices inward, following the 

 succession of moult. 



Bill greenish horn, darker toward the base ; facial skin pale bluish ; legs and 

 feet dark greenish or slaty black. Length, about 700 mm. ; bill from nostril, 15 ; 

 wing, 195; tail, 400; tarsus, 80; middle toe and claw, 65 mm. Spurs triangular 

 and flat, sometimes sharp, about 5 mm. in length. 



EARLY HISTORY 



Mr. Benjamin Leadbeater described and figured the Amherst Pheasant in the 

 " Transactions of the Linnaean Society" for 1828, giving at the same time the following 

 quaint account : 



" The return of His Excellency the Right Honourable Earl Amherst from India 

 has made us acquainted with one of the most splendid examples of the genus Phasiamis 

 that has been submitted to the notice of ornithologists for many years past. 



" Two males of this new and beautiful species came originally from the mountains 

 of Cochin China, and were presented by the King of Ava to Sir Archibald Campbell, 

 who gave them to the Countess Amherst. Her ladyship retained them in her 

 possession about two years, and ultimately succeeded in bringing them both to 

 England alive, but they only survived the voyage a few weeks. 



" I propose the name of Phasimtus Amherstiae (tab. 15) for this valuable 

 addition to our catalogue, as a tribute due to the distinguished lady to whom 

 ornithologists are indebted for the knowledge of this new species ; and I have great 

 pleasure in publicly recording my thanks to her ladyship for the kindness and con- 

 descension with which my request to be allowed to make this bird known to the 

 world through the medium of the Linnaean Society was immediately granted. 



" It may be proper to state that the splendid appearance these specimens now 

 exhibit in this country is entirely owing to the very judicious plan of taking off their 

 extraordinary tail-feathers about two inches from the body of the birds, before con- 

 signing them to the coops in which they were conveyed from India." 



SYNONYMY 



Phasianus amherstiae Leadb. Tr. Linn. Soc, XVL 1828, p. 129, pi. 15 ; Gray, in Griff, ed. Cuv. lU. 1829, 

 p. 25 ; Lesson, Traite d'Orn. 1831, p. 496 ; Blyth, Cat. Mus. As. Soc. 1849, P- 246. 



Phasianus amherstia Temminck, PI. Col. V. Phas. 1830, p. 11 ; Jard, Nat. Lib. Orn., IV. 1834, p. 210. 



Thaumalea a7nherstiae Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1228; Gray, List of B. Pt. IIL Gall. 1844, p. 24; id. Gen. 

 B., IIL 1845, p. 497. Pl- cxxv ; id. Cat. Hodgs. ed. I. 1846, p. 124 ; Sclater, List of Phas. 1863, P- 5, pL 3 ; Swinhoe, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 307; Gould, B.Asia, VII. 1866, pi. 20; Anderson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, pp. 111,278 

 (Western Yunnan) ; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 468 ; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, pp. 128, 670 [Yun-ling 



