LOPHURA 
CRESTED FIREBACK PHEASANTS 
Family PHASIANIDAE 
Subfamily PHASIANINAE 
Genus LOPHURA 
Tue Crested Firebacks have often been placed in the same genus with the silver 
pheasants, and indeed Swinhoe’s pheasant bridges them rather closely, but the three 
species of Lophura are so well marked, and their resemblances zuzter se are so pro- 
nounced, that for convenience it seems much better to recognize them as a distinct 
genus. The males are characterized by the shining iridescent feathers of the lower back 
and rump, and by the elongated crest, the shafts bare at the base, the tips expanded into 
a brush of hair-like barbs. The crest is less developed or absent in the females. 
The tail is quite long and composed of sixteen feathers, compressed laterally as in 
the crestless firebacks and junglefowls. The third pair of rectrices is slightly longer 
than the two central pairs and more than twice the length of the outer pair. The 5th 
and 6th primaries are slightly the longest, the 1st being shorter than the 2nd, which is 
equal to the roth. A large bare area on the face may be red or blue, and a pair of gular 
wattles is more or less highly developed. The tarsus is nearly twice as long as the 
middle toe and claw. The males are armed with a pair of stout spurs, absent or very 
small in the females. 
The term Lofhuva was proposed by Fleming in Philos. Zool. in ihe year 1822. 
None of the subsequent generic synonyms call for comment save Diardigallus. This 
was instituted by Bonaparte for the Siamese Fireback, and this bird has been considered 
sufficiently distinct by a number of authors to be placed in a genus of its own. Any 
decision in such an instance can only be made as logical as possible, reviewing the 
relative distinctions and resemblances, the relation and value of characters of the bird 
as a whole. The crest and fiery back seem in this case to outweigh the other colour and 
pattern differences, although avardz is certainly well worthy of pronounced sub-generic 
separation, if only on account of the rather unique female plumage. 
LOPHURA 
Type. 
Lophura Fleming, Philos. Zool. II. 1822, p.230  . : . L, ignita. 
Euplocomus Temm. (nec Latr., Lep. 1809) Pl. Col. V. ie to Lophophors, 1830) 2b Be Pt 
Macarineya Less., Traité @’Orn. 1831, p. 492 . : : : 3 
Spicefer Kaup, Das Thierreich, I]. Theil I. 1836, p. 78 . : : : ; " 
Lophalector Cab. in Ersch. u. Grub. Encycl. sec. 3, XXII. 1846, p. 116 : ’ ‘ ¢ a 
Lophora Gray, Hand-list Birds, II. 1870, p. 259, No. 2378 : . : : . 
Diardigallus Bonap. C. R. XLIII. 1856, p. 414 ; 5 E ; ; ; ‘ a th5 CREE. 
115 
