PUCRASIA NIPALENSIS, Gould, 



Nepaul Pucras Pheasant. 



Pucrasia Nipalensis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc. April 11, 1854. 



Of the three species of Pucrasia, the present is by far the most highly coloured and beautifully marked ; the 

 mantle, the sides of the neck, and the flank feathers being conspicuously striated with black, chestnut and 

 grey, while the same parts in the others are, as will be seen on reference to the respective plates, very 

 different and sombre in comparison. In size it is the smallest bird of the three, and as regards rarity it is 

 second only to the Pucrasia castanea ; specimens, however, are contained in the collection at the British 

 Museum, in that of the East India Company, and, I believe, in that of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. 



The native habitat of this fine Pheasant is Nepaul and Bhotan, whence, I believe, all of the specimens 

 contained in the collections above mentioned have been sent by Mr. Hodgson. 



Forehead, cheeks, chin and lengthened portion of the crest deep shining green ; hinder part of the head 

 and the shorter portion of the crest buff with lighter shafts, the two colours blending on the occiput ; on 

 each side the neck an oval spot of white ; feathers of the sides and back of the neck and upper part of the 

 back brownish black, with a narrow mark of rich chestnut down the centre, and edged with rufous or 

 whitish ; feathers of the lower part of the back brownish black, with white shafts and edges ; wing-coverts 

 blackish brown, with white shafts and margins ; scapularies broadly margined with deep reddish buff; 

 primaries brown on the internal web, deep buff on the outer; tertiaries pale chestnut, mottled with black 

 along the shaft and towards the edge, which is sandy buff; throat, centre of the breast and abdomen rich 

 chestnut; flank feathers brownish black with white shafts, bordered on each side by a very fine line of 

 chestnut and narrowly edged with grey, the markings becoming larger and paler behind the thigh ; under 

 tail-coverts lively chestnut, with an oval spot of white at the tip of each ; centre tail-feathers rufous, stained 

 with black near the shaft, the remainder black on the inner web and at the tip ; the outer webs chestnut, 

 which colour curves round into and occupies a portion of the internal web near the tip, all fringed with 

 white at the tip; bill black ; feet horny brown. 



Total length, 20f inches ; wing, 8i; tail, 9 ; tarsi, 2|. 



The figure is the size of life. 



