i86 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



metallic golden green, with a central arrow-mark of copper, and a narrow greenish-blue 

 shaft-stripe. Each feather is edged with a very narrow line of black. 



Feathers of the lower back, rump, and especially the upper tail-coverts enormously 

 developed, forming the characteristic train. In a very general way these feathers 

 resemble those of the crest, the shafts being ivory white, scantily and loosely barbed 

 throughout their length except for the terminal eye or crescent. The majority of these 

 feathers are ornamented with the eye or ocellus, each a great subterminal spot of shining 

 green, with a bilobed pupil of purplish black in a field of golden copper. This in turn is 

 surrounded with rings of gold, copper and other metallic hues. Many of the lateral 

 coverts are feathered only on the outer web, being a uniform golden green. The longest 

 coverts lack the eyes and are terminated with green, crescent-shaped tufts. 



The eyed feathers begin rather abruptly on the lower back, but the transitional zone 

 shows that the eye takes its origin in the widening of the narrow green shaft-line which 

 first appears on the mantle. 



The lesser and median wing-coverts, scapulars, tertiaries and inner secondaries are 

 buffy white, irregularly barred with black, which is often glossed with green. The base 

 of the mantle and upper back feathers is also buff and black. The primaries and their 

 coverts and the alula are pale chestnut, the inner one or two primaries somewhat 

 mottled with black on the inner web. The outer seven secondaries and their coverts 

 are black. The outer rows of median coverts are black, glossed with bluish green. 



Lores, superciliary stripe, chin and throat dark metallic green. Lower neck and 

 upper breast shining, rich purplish blue. Lower breast and flanks green. Belly and 

 largely developed, downy, under tail-coverts blackish brown. Thighs buffy white. 

 Tail of twenty feathers brownish, the outer webs basally slightly mottled with brown. 

 All but the central pairs have a pronounced inward curve. 



The bare facial area consists of a narrow line beginning at the beak, and in fact 

 sends forward a fleshy line over the beak substance. It extends backwards above the 

 lores, and over the eye, separated from that organ by the feathered superciliary line. 

 The lower, bare area begins at the gape and extends backward, below and behind the 

 eye, reaching up to the side of the occiput. This bare region is swollen, wrinkled and 

 sparsely pitted with dots from which spring very short feather hairs. It is very pale 

 yellowish or sometimes greenish white in colour. The beak is dark horn ; irides hazel ; 

 legs, feet and spurs greyish horn ; the latter are short and stout, usually under 20 mm. 

 in length. Length, exclusive of train, 1,000 to 1,200 mm. ; length of train beyond tip of 

 tail, 6qo to 1,100; maximum expanse, about 1,500; bill from nostril, 20; wing, 430 to 

 500 ; tail, 400 to 440 ; tarsus, 130 to 155 ; middle toe and claw, 90 mm. Weight, 8| to 

 II pounds. 



Adult Female. — Top of the head, lores, superciliary stripe, ear-coverts and nape 

 dark chestnut, many of the feathers on the first-mentioned area tipped with metallic 

 green ; crest much like that of the male, but the terminal racket chiefly chestnut tipped 

 with metallic green. Upper neck chestnut tipped with green, while the latter colour is 

 dominant on the lower neck and upper mantle. Posteriorly on the mantle the feathers 

 are tipped and mottled with buff, and the green dies out and gives place to the dull 

 brown which characterizes the upper plumage in general. On the mantle, back, and 



