LINEATED KALEEGE 
Gennaeus lineatus (Vigors) 
NAMES.—Generic: Gennaeus, from the Greek yevvaroc, noble or proud, probably with reference to the bird’s 
carriage. Specific: Lzmeatus, Latin, striped or lined. English: Lineated or Vermicellated Kaleege. French: 
Faisan de Regnant; Houppifere rayé. German: Strichelfasan; Graufasan. Vernacular: Yit, Kayit, Kanayit 
(Burmese) ; Sinlouk (Talaing); Poogik, Phooyk (Karen). 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION.—Male: Upper plumage vermiculated finely on exposed parts, more coarsely on 
basal areas, with black and white in equal amounts; long crest and under parts black, sides of breast and abdomen 
with white shaft-stripes ; central tail-feathers creamy-white on inner web and at tip. Female: Olive-brown above 
with pointed white shaft-stripes on the neck and mantle, usually split basally into a V-shape, sometimes simple 
lines ; secondaries mottled with buff on outer webs; chin and throat greyish white; under plumage chestnut ; all 
the feathers with white shaft-stripes, and dark cross-bars on the abdomen; middle tail-feathers buff, mottled with 
black on outer web; others barred with black, white and chestnut. 
RANGE.—Valley of the Irrawaddy in Central and Lower Burma, eastward to the Shan States and 
north-east Siam, and south some distance into Tenasserim. 
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 
Tue centre of distribution of the Lineated Kaleege is central and southern Burma, 
especially east of the Irrawaddy. While its northern boundaries fade gradually into the 
maze of hybrids, apparently typical specimens have been taken as far north as 24° north 
latitude. From here southward the Irrawaddy may in general be taken to mark its 
limits, although many birds have been shot on the western slopes of the river valley, 
especially from 21° southward. At 18° three typical males have been secured on the 
western slopes of the Arakan mountains. On the east it ranges well into the Southern 
Shan States, probably touching the range of xycthemerus at many points, and has been 
recorded east of the Salween at about 20° north latitude. How far into Siam it ranges 
we do not know, but at least as far as 12°. To the south we may include all of the 
Pegu east of the Irrawaddy and Tenasserim as far as Tavoy in 14° north latitude. 
Within this area, often at the higher altitudes, averaging about two or three 
thousand feet, appear occasional individuals of what has been called sharpez, a form 
which I cannot even tentatively admit as a species. 
GENERAL ACCOUNT 
Like most of the kaleege pheasants, the Lineated is not a bird of widely ranging 
habits. When it finds satisfactory haunts, with food, water, good roosting trees and 
freedom from molestation, it will spend its entire time within a remarkably limited 
area, disappearing into the deeper, more isolated parts of the jungle only at the breeding 
season. Also, like its congeners, it prefers mountainous or at least hilly country to flat 
plains or grassy prairies, although it lives at moderate elevations and never ascends to 
the heights that the silver pheasant or some of the Himalayan kaleege attain. Dry, 
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