SIKHIM HIMALAYAN BLOOD PARTRIDGE 



Ithagenes cruentus affinis Beebe 



My attention was focussed on the lack of pectoral crimson and other distinctions 

 characterizing the Blood Partridges of British Sikhim when examining scores of speci- 

 mens in various museums, and I found that I could usually separate the two forms" 

 at a glance. Looking at a large series of skins from Nepal and northern native Sikhim, 

 the eye at once notes three distinct zones of crimson on the ventral surface ; chin, 

 midbreast and under tail-coverts. In a second series of birds collected in British 

 Sikhim the central zone is almost or wholly absent. 



Type Locality. — Near Nathang, 12,000 feet elevation. 



Geographical Distribution. — The higher ridges of British Sikhim. 



SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS. — Male : Pectoral crimson absent from visible portions of feathers or represented 

 by a few rusty stains or at most several scattered spots. The two outer pairs of rectrices always without a tinge 

 of crimson. Averaging slightly larger than cruentus. Female : Greyer in general tone than the western form, 

 especially on the lesser wing-coverts and tertials where the lighter markings are decidedly whitish instead of 

 warm buff. Only ten per cent, or less of Sikhim birds (and these doubtfully labelled specimens) show even the 

 faintest trace of a crimson tinge around the facial area or on chin, throat and rectrices. 



EARLY HISTORY 



On August 17, 1912, I published the diagnosis of affinis in "Zoologica," designating 

 as types, male, No. 387, and female, No. 450 in the Kuser-Beebe Collection. Both were 

 secured at 12,000 feet elevation near Nathang, British Sikhim. These types have been 

 presented to the American Museum, New York City. 



Ithagenes cruentus cruentus 



Perdix cruentatus Jardine, Nat. Lib., Orn., IV. 1834, pi. VII. 



Ithaginis cruentus Gould, Birds, Asia, VII. 1851, p. 43 (partim); Jerdon, Birds, India, III. 1863, p. 522 

 (partim); Elliot, Mon. Phas., II. 1872, text (partim), plate; Hume, Game-birds, India, I. 1878, p. 155, 

 pi. (partim); Bianchi, Annuaire du Mus. Zoo. l'Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb., VIII. 1903 (partim); Bianchi, 

 translation of above, Jour, fur Orn., LII. 1904, p. 70 (partim). 



Ithagenes cruentus Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds. Brit. Mus., XXII. 1893, p. 268 (partim); Ogilvie-Grant, 

 Handbook Game-birds, I. 1895, p. 215 (partim); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind. Birds, IV. 1898, p. 103 {partim); 

 Evans, Camb. Nat. Hist., IX. Birds, 1899, p. 217 (partim); Dresser, Man. Palaearctic Birds, II. 1903, p. 675 

 (partim); Walton, Ibis, (8), VI. 1906, p. 247 (partim); Brehm, Tierleben, Vogel, II. 191 1, p. 84, pi. (partim) ; 

 Bailey, Jour. Bomb. Nat. His. Soc, XXI. 191 1, p. 178; Baker, Jour. Bomb. Nat. His. Soc, XXIV. 1916, p. 389 

 (partim). 



Ithaginis cruentus affinis Beebe, Zoologica, I. No. 10, 1912, p. 191 ; Beebe, Zoologica, I. No. 15, 1914, p. 265. 



Ithagenes cruentus affinis Baker, Ibis, 191 5, p. 122. 



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