64 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



sia macrolopha, while the dark Nepal form is P. 

 nepalensis, and the Kashmir bird P. biddulphi. 



The length of the cock is about two feet, with 

 the wing just over nine inches and the tail about 

 ten ; the shank measures about two and-a-half 

 inches and the bill about one and-a-half. 



The hen is mottled with black and brown, with 

 buff streaks above ; her eyebrows are buff, and 

 her throat pure white ; below she is buff with black 

 streaks, and the middle of the belly white ; the 

 side tail-feathers are black, tipped with white 

 and edged with chestnut outside. The hens are 

 much the same eveiy where, except that in the 

 Nepal variety there is often much more chestnut 

 in the tail. 



The short, flat, pointed tail, feathered face, 

 and long wings will easily distinguish the hen 

 Koklass from other hen pheasants. 



She is about three inches shorter than the male, 

 with an eight-mch tail, and wing only a little 

 longer ; the shank is two and-a-quarter inches. 



The Koklass is confined to the Himalayas, from 

 Jumla in Western Nepal to Kashmir ; its range is 

 from about four thousand feet to the forest limits. 

 It is pre-eminently a forest bird, and lies close till 

 flushed, when it flies with great rapidity and is 

 hard to shoot. Although living on a mixed diet 

 like most pheasants, it has an especial preference 

 for leaves and buds ; it is supposed to be our best 

 pheasant for the table. 



It has apparently named itself, like so many 

 Indian birds, the crow of the male being compared 

 to the words '' kok-kok pokrass." He usually 



