GALLOPEKDIX BICALCARATA. 



(THE CEYLON SPUR-FOWL.) 



(Peculiar to Ceylon.) 



Perdix bicalcarata, Forster, Ind. Zool. p. 25, pi. 14 (1781). 



Tetrao zeylonensis, Gmel. ed. Syst. Nat. i. p. 759 (1788). 



Perdix bicalcaratus, Pennant, Ind. Zool. p. 40, pi. 7 (1790). 



Perdix ceylonensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 644 (1790). 



Galloperdix zeylonensis (Gin.), Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 241 (1849); Gould, B. of 



Asia, pt. vi. (1854); Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 545 (1864); Hume, Nests and Eggs, iii. 



p. 555 (1875). 

 Galloperdix bicalcaratus (Forst.), Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 131 (1852); Layard, Ann. & 



Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiv. p. 105. 

 Galloperdix bicalcarata (Forst.), Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 308 ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 469 ; 



Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 26, et 1875, p. 400; id. J. A. S. (Ceylon Br.) 1874, p. 49; 



Hume, Str. Feath. 1878, vii. p. 430 ; id. t. c. p. 453. 

 Das zweigespornte Eebhuhn, Forster, I. c. ; Double-Spurred Partridge, Pennant ; Chittygong 



Partridge, Latham (female) ; Ceylon Partridge, Gmelin and Latham ; Spur-fowl, 



Spurred Partridge, Kandy Partridge, Layard. 

 Haban-huJcula, Saban-kukula, Sinhalese. 



cJ supra niger, plumis medialiter albo Iineatis : dorso, uropygio et supracaudalibus saturate castaneis, apicaliter obso- 

 lete nigro angustissime transfasciatis : scapularibus castaneis nigro vermiculatis, medialiter nigris albo Iineatis : 

 tectricibus alarum dorso concoloribus, marginaliter castaneis nigro vermiculatis, majoribus subterminaliter albo 

 maculatis : remigibus brunueis, secundariis extus castaneo vermiculatis : supracaudalibus longioribus caudaque 

 nigricanti-brunneis : pileo summo nigro, immaculato : collo laterali et corpore subtiis nigris, albo conspicue flam- 

 mulatis, hypochondriis longitudinaliter albo notatis : subalaribus nigricantibus : remigibus subtus pallide cineras- 

 centibus : rostro rubro : plaga nuda orbitali rubra : pedibus rubris : iride brunnescenti-flava, interdum rubescente. 



Adult male. Length 13 - 5 to 13-8 inches ; wing 6-4 to 6'6 ; tail 4-0 ; tarsus 2 - to 2 - l ; middle toe and claw 1-6; bill to 

 gape 0-95 to 1*0 ; spur 0-5 to 0-7, generally two on each leg, sometimes three on one and two on the other. 



Iris brownish yellow or brownish red ; orbital skin red ; bill, legs, and feet red ; spurs dusky reddish. 



Top of head, hind neck and its sides, interscapular region, lesser wing-coverts, tail, and under tail-coverts black, most 

 intense on the hind neck, slightly pervaded with brownish on the wing-coverts and tail, and blending into the 

 rufous-chestnut of the back, rump, and tertials : head and hind neck striated with white, broadly so on the latter 

 part, and changing into narrow drop-shaped mesial spots on the wing-coverts ; lower back and tail-coverts with 

 terminal cross rays of blackish, and the major wing-coverts, tertials, and outer webs of secondaries mottled with 

 the same ; primaries brown ; face, throat, and under surface white, margined with black : from the chin to centre 

 of fore neck narrowly edged with it, the margins increasing on the lower part of the fore neck, and covering half 

 the feathers on the sides of the same ; on the breast the lateral margins are very broad, decreasing at the tip ; on 

 the -flanks the black increases, leaving a narrow mesial white stripe; thighs and under tail-coverts black, with 

 terminal white spots. 



Female. Length ll - 75 inches ; wing 6 - ; tail 3-5 ; tarsus 2'0 ; spurs 0-3 to 0-5, one on each leg generally, sometimes 



two on one leg, and at times wanting on one. 

 Iris brownish yellow ; bill, legs, and feet lighter red than in the male. 

 Head and hind neck blackish brown, changing into ferruginous on the back and wings, which are finely pencilled with 



rays of dark brown ; head with pale mesial lines ; quills brown ; outer webs of secondaries mottled with rufous ; 



tail blackish brown ; chin and throat albescent, the feathers dark-edged ; chest and under surface chestnut, the 



feathers with pale shafts and dark mottlings, and the fore neck and chest with dark brown lunulations ; under 



tail-coverts blackish brown, mottled with rufous. 



5c2 



