BIRDS OP NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 419 



more or less regularly concave ; cere densely feathered beneath and behind 

 the nostril, the upper portion nude, the upper outline (mesorhinium) more 

 or less ascending basally and arched, the nostrils overhung by a large, 

 tumid operculum. Wing moderate, rounded, with primaries slightly to 

 much longer than longest secondaries ; fourth or fourth and fifth primaries 

 longest, the first (outermost) about equal to eighth. Tail decidedly longer 

 than wing (adult male), flat or very nearly so, excessively graduated, the 

 rectrices (18) tapering toward their acuminate or subacuminate tips. 

 Tarsus decidedly less than one-third as long as wing, rather stout, the 

 acrotarsium with two rows of broad transverse scutella (in contact with 

 each other along median line, the planta tarsi also with two rows, but that 

 on inner side composed of smaller scutella; planta tarsi with a conical 

 spur a little below middle, this rudimentary or obsolete in females ; middle 

 toe a little more than two-thirds as long as tarsus, the outer toe reaching 

 to middle of subterminal phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe to sub- 

 terminal articulation of middle toe; hallux elevated, about as long as 

 basal phalanx of outer toe ; a distinct web between basal portion of anterior 

 toes; claws rather short, slightly curved, more or less blunt. 



Plumage and coloration. — Orbital region more or less nude; pileum 

 without a distinct crest, but sometimes feathers on sides of occiput, im- 

 mediately above auricular region, elongated and forming a hornlike or 

 earlike tuft on each side; no erectile "cape" on hindneck; contour feathers 

 distinctly outlined, broad and rounded or narrower and more triangular 

 (but barely so and with rounded tip). Adult males brilliantly colored 

 or with beautiful and complicated pattern of subdued colors, metallic hues 

 being usually present; tail always with transverse markings. Adult fe- 

 males brownish and buffy, variegated with blackish, etc. 



Range. — Southeastern Europe to eastern Siberia, Japan, and Formosa. 

 (One species with over 40 subspecies, 2 of which are mixed in the stock 

 introduced into North America.) 



PHASIANUS COLCHICUS TORQUATUS Gmelin 



Ring-necked Pheasant 



Adult male. — Forehead black with bright dark green sheen ; broad super- 

 ciliaries white; crown fairly glossy Roman green tinged with ecru-olive, 

 the latter tone becoming more noticeable on the hindcrown and occiput; 

 lores, sides of head, except for a small auricular patch of dark bluish- 

 green feathers that extends forward under the eye, bare; superciliaries 

 narrowly edged below with dark glossy greenish-black feathers like those 

 of the forehead and extending from the forehead to the base of an erectile 

 tuft of truncate iridescent blue-green blackish feathers on the postero- 

 dorsal corner of the occiput on each side; nape very glossy bottle green 

 to dark zinc green, laterally tinged with glossy dark violet-blue, which 

 predominates on the sides of the neck, although even there it is posteriorly 



