PHASIANIDAE 



199 



being curved, and overhanging the mandible, which exhibits 

 two serrations on each side in the Odontophorinae. The meta- 

 tarsus is strong and relatively short in Grouse and many Partridges, 

 but in Pheasants and similar forms it is much longer ; the feather- 

 ing descends to the toes in the Tetraoninae, except Bonasa and 

 Tetrastes, the digits themselves being clothed in Lagopus, naked 

 and pectinate at the sides in the remaining genera. No other 

 members of the Pamily shew pectinations or have the metatarsus 

 feathered, save Leriva, where it is half covered. The hallux, 

 invariably elevated, has only a rudiinentary claw in Molluhis, 

 Jfelanoperdix, and Caloperdix ; Arhoricola, Dactylortyx, and 

 Cyrtonyx, on the contrary, have particularly long and somewhat 

 straight claws. Spurs are of frequent occurrence on the feet of the 

 males, though rare in the females, some species possessing as many 

 as three pairs ; they are never found in the Tetraoninae or Odonto- 

 phorinae, and are represented by mere knobs in Acryllium 

 (Numidinae). The wings are short and rounded, with ten 

 primaries and from twelve to nineteen secondaries, both decreasing 

 in length as they near the middle of the wing, which has thus 

 a bilobed appearance when expanded. The primaries usually 

 increase in length before decreasing, but in some cases the exterior 

 quill is the longest, while in Falcipennis two or three of the outer 

 feathers are sickle-shaped, and in Argus the secondaries are 

 enormously developed. The tail is extremely variable, being long 

 and rounded ia Zophophorus; long and sharp-pointed in Phasianus 

 and Centrocercus ; moderate, broad, and rounded in Lagopus, 

 Odontophorus, and so forth ; similar but more truncated in 

 Meleagris; short in most Partridges; and exceptionally abbreviated 

 in many Quails. The coverts far exceed the tail in the Peacock, 

 forming its splendid train, while they are much elongated in 

 Chrysolopihus, and to some extent in Coturnix, Excalphatoria, and 

 Ceriornis (Trccgopan). In Fedioecetes the two middle rectrices 

 surpass the rest and terminate abruptly ; in Lyrurus the exterior 

 feathers fork outwards ; in Crossoptilon and Gennaeus the 

 median plumes curve over the others ; and in Lohiophasis not 

 only is this the case, but the rhachis extends beyond the webs, 

 which are much reduced on the outer side of the lateral quills ; 

 'in Argusianus and Bheinardtius the middle pair is extraordinarily 

 lengthened. The whole tail is compressed or "vaulted" to a greater 

 or less degree in Gcdlus, Chrysolophus, Loph%ra, Acomus, Gennaeus 



