THE COMMON PHEASANT- IGt 



third and fourth luiigx'.st, the first equal tii tlie seveiitli ; tiie 

 secondaries hroad, ruunded, and httle shorter than the 

 primaries. The tail is very long, shghtly arched, reniarkaljly 

 euueate nr tapering, uf eighteen tapering feathers, of which 

 tlie hiteral are incurved, the central straight. Four pairs of 

 the longest tail feathers are concave above towards the end, 

 or channelled. 



" The Ijill IS pale greenish-yellow, the nasal inenibrane 

 light Ijrown or flesh-coloured. The bare papillar patch on 

 tile side <if the liead is scarlet, in iiarts ajjprcjachiug to 

 arterial blood-red, or at some seasons crimson. Tlie eyelids 

 are flesh-coloured, the iris yellow. The feet are light grey 

 tinged with brown, the claws light chocolate brown. 



"' The feathers of the upper part of the head are deeu 

 brownish-green, with yellowish marginal fllaments. The 

 upper part of tbe neck is deep green behind, laterally and 

 anteriorlv greenish-blue and ])ui'plisli-blue. The lower part 

 of the neck is reddish-orange, anteriorly tinged with purple; 

 the breast and sides brownish yellow ; each feather terminally 

 margined \vith purplish-blue, the dark margin mdeided in 

 the middle, but the indentation gradually diminishing on 

 the breast. The middle of the lower part of the breast is 

 blackish-brown, glossed with green, the margins of the 

 feathers being of the latter colour. The fore ])art (jf the 

 b;i.ck is yellowish-red, each feather slightly margined with 

 black, and ha\-ing a central oblong s]5ot of the same. The 

 scapulars are redder, witli a slight black tip, the central 

 part dull yellow mottled with dusky, margined with a black 

 band. (Jn tbe middle of the back the feathers are some- 

 what similarly variegated, with additional spots of light blue 

 and purple. 'Jdiose on tbe rump are of a deep red, with 

 green and greyish tints. The inner wing-coverts arc similar 

 tn the scapulars, but edged externally with dark red, the 

 outer yellowish-grey, variegated with whitish and dusky. 

 The quills are light browmsh-grey, variegated with ])ale 

 greyish-yellow ; the secondaries more tinged with brown on 



