48 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



god Pan," horns, pipe and all ! The Greeks and Romans gave this name to a fabulous 

 bird, of which Pliny writes (10. 136): " Equidem et tragopana fabulosum reor, de qua 

 plures adfirmant, maiorem aquila, cornua in temporibus curvata habentem, ferruginei 

 coloris, tantum capite phoeniceo." 



Swainson in 1837 substituted Ceriornis, which has since been used by many 

 writers. But, although Swainson considers that the term Tragopan " is in every way 

 objectionable," it has the profound merit of priority, and, hoping it may make toward 

 the long-desired goal of stability in nomenclature, I have chosen to adopt it. " What's 

 in a name?" Let us pass from discussion of the artificial handle applied by man 

 during the last few years of the Tragopans' existence, to the really vital study of the 

 birds themselves. 



TRAGOPAN 



Type. 



Satyra Less (nee Meig. Dipt, 1803), Diet. Sci. Nat, LIX. 1828, p. 196 . . T. satyra. 

 Tragopan Cuv. (nee Mohr. Av., 1752), Reg. Anim., ed. 2, I. 1829, p. 479 . . „ 



Ceriornis Swains., Class. Birds, II. 1837, p. 341 ., 



Ceratornis Cab., in Ersch. u. Grub. Encycl., sec. 3, XXII. 1846, p. 150 . . „ 



Five full species and one subspecies of Tragopans are recognized — 



Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra (Linnaeus). 



Western Tragopan 

 Blyth's Tragopan 

 Tibetan Tragopan . 

 Temminck's Tragopan 

 Cabot's Tragopan . 



melanocephalus (J. E. Gray). 

 blythi blythi (Jerdon). 

 blythi molesworthi Baker. 

 temmincki (J. E. Gray). 

 caboti (Gould). 



KEY TO TRAGOPAN 



I. Head carmine and black (males). 



a Under surface spotted. 



a' White spots on carmine satyra. 



b' White spots on black melanocephalus. 



c Large pearl-grey spots temmincki. 



b Under surface not spotted. 

 d' Breast crimson. 



a" Crimson extending well over breast blythi blythi. 



b" Crimson confined to a narrow gorget on neck and upper breast . . blythi molesworthi. 

 e' Breast buff caboti. 



II. Head not carmine and black (females). 



a Upper plumage streaked with white. 



a' Dominant ventral colour grey melanocephalus. 



b' Dominant ventral colour white or buff .....•• caboti. 

 b Upper plumage not streaked with white. 

 c Bend of wing rich orange-carmine. 



a" General tone olive ; black ocelli dominant on upper plumage . . blythi blythi. 

 b" General tone buff; black ocelli not dominant on upper plumage . . satyra. 

 d Bend of wing not orange-carmine • temmincki. 



