PHASIANUS PRINCIPALIS, 



(MURGHAB PHEASANT.) 



Phasianus principalis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1885, p. 322. 



"P/iasia?iiis komarovi, Bogd.," Zarudny, Ois. de la Contree Transcasp. p. 63 (1885). 



Phasianus komarovii, Bogd. Bull. Petersb. xxx. p. 356 (1886). 



Kargooule, Tekke (fide Zarudny). 



Figurce notabiles. 

 Sclater, P. Z. S. 1885, pi. xxii.; Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. v. pi. vii. 



<$ ad. capite et collo metallice viridibus : torque nullo : alis extiis pro maxima parte pure albis : ventris 

 mediis plumis in centro flavescentibus, cuprescente rubro late circumdatis : ventris lateralis plumis 

 aurescenti-rubris purpurescenti-nigro late marginatis : plaga, ventris medii nigra, nulla, : long, tota 

 circa 36, alee 10, caudse 23 poll. Angl. {Sclater.) 



$ ad. P. colchico similis, sed coloribus conspicue pallidioribus, magis ocbraceo-cervino, et minus nigro- 

 fusco notato. 



Adult Male (Merv, November). Crown rich bottle-green; hind neck rich green with purplish reflections ; 

 fore part of neck rich purple, with bronze reflections on the chin and upper throat ; back and scapulars 

 rich golden orange, margined with purplish black, and with an elongated central terminal patch ; rump 

 coppery red, with narrower margins and spots ; upper tail-coverts rich coppery red ; quills greyish 

 brown, the primaries barred on the inner web with warm buff, the first quill barred on both webs ; 

 secondaries marbled with buff, the innermost secondaries washed with coppery red ; wing-coverts pure 

 white ; tail coppery red, narrowly barred with black ; upper breast-feathers deep orange at the base, 

 and broadly tipped with rich carmine-purple, the lower breast with broader margins of a lighter shade ; 

 the feathers bordering the abdomen resplendent coppery red, tinged with carmine-purple ; flank-feathers 

 rich golden yellow, broadly tipped with purplish black ; middle of abdomen warm brown; under tail- 

 coverts brown, tinged with coppery red : bill whitish horn ; legs brown ; naked skin on the sides of 

 the face and wattles vermilion-scarlet; iris brown. Total length about 35 inches, culmen 13, 

 wing 9-4, tail 22-0, tarsus 2'7. 



Adult Female (Merv) . Differs from the female of P. colchicus in being much paler, the ground-colour of 

 the plumage being pale clay -buff, and the dark markings are rather fewer. 



Young in down (about two days o\A,fide Walter). Crown and back light reddish and yellowish brown, with 

 black stripes and elongated spots ; underparts uniform yellowish white ; a clearly defined black stripe 

 passes from the base of the bill over the centre of the crown, on each side of which another similar 

 stripe passes over the eye ; sides of the head rather more yellow than the underparts ; in front of the 

 ear a curved black line passes down towards the lower mandible, and behind the ear are a few black 

 feathers; the tail-tuft, which is about 1-5 inch long, is rather darker reddish brown than the back, 

 with a median black line : beak yellowish ; legs pale yellowish white, paler than the underparts. 





