﻿22 
  A 
  MONOGRAPH 
  OF 
  THE 
  PHEASANTS 
  

  

  fairly 
  regular 
  chestnut 
  cross-bars, 
  dying 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  flight-feathers, 
  which 
  are 
  

   unmarked 
  except 
  for 
  a 
  wide 
  outer 
  margin 
  of 
  pale 
  buff. 
  

  

  The 
  shorter 
  tail-coverts 
  are 
  mottled 
  sandy 
  and 
  black, 
  with 
  pale 
  buff 
  cross-bars. 
  

   On 
  the 
  longer 
  ones 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  rufous, 
  and 
  an 
  emphasizing 
  of 
  the 
  pale 
  bars, 
  

   which 
  on 
  the 
  central 
  rectrices 
  are 
  proximally 
  outlined 
  in 
  black. 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  

   of 
  this 
  central 
  pair, 
  the 
  tail-feathers 
  are 
  rich 
  chestnut, 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  inner 
  web 
  and 
  

   a 
  broad 
  zone 
  near 
  the 
  tip. 
  The 
  terminal 
  margin 
  is 
  pure 
  white. 
  

  

  The 
  breast, 
  sides 
  and 
  flanks 
  are 
  in 
  general 
  like 
  the 
  mantle, 
  with 
  dark 
  brown 
  

   outlining 
  the 
  rufous 
  or 
  buffy 
  central 
  barbed-arrow, 
  and 
  a 
  border 
  and 
  tip 
  of 
  grey. 
  

   Posteriorly 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  the 
  definiteness 
  of 
  the 
  pattern 
  is 
  destroyed 
  by 
  mottling. 
  The 
  

   black 
  is 
  much 
  reduced 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  breast 
  and 
  belly, 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  these 
  parts 
  being 
  

   in 
  some 
  individuals 
  almost 
  solid 
  pinkish 
  buff, 
  paling 
  into 
  whitish 
  at 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  

   the 
  feathers. 
  

  

  The 
  under 
  tail-coverts 
  are 
  rich 
  chestnut 
  with 
  a 
  broad 
  tip 
  of 
  pure 
  white, 
  the 
  two 
  

   colours 
  being 
  separated 
  by 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  broken 
  cross-bar 
  of 
  black. 
  

  

  The 
  upper 
  mandible 
  is 
  dark 
  horn 
  ; 
  the 
  lower 
  yellowish. 
  The 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  are 
  pale 
  

   plumbeous 
  or 
  horny 
  grey, 
  dark 
  brown 
  in 
  dried 
  skins. 
  Irides 
  hazel. 
  Weight 
  i 
  lb. 
  

   10 
  ozs. 
  to 
  2 
  lbs. 
  

  

  Bill 
  from 
  nostril, 
  15 
  mm.; 
  length, 
  525 
  to 
  560; 
  expanse, 
  700 
  to 
  725; 
  wing, 
  215; 
  

   tail, 
  200 
  ; 
  tarsus, 
  65 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw, 
  58. 
  

  

  Juvenile 
  Plumage. 
  — 
  The 
  crown 
  is 
  dull 
  brown 
  with 
  no 
  crest 
  apparent. 
  Chin 
  and 
  

   throat 
  white, 
  the 
  lower 
  throat 
  and 
  neck 
  with 
  broad, 
  dark-brown 
  tips. 
  Lores 
  and 
  face 
  

   whitish, 
  with 
  a 
  broad 
  brown 
  border; 
  posteriorly 
  on 
  the 
  ear-coverts 
  the 
  white 
  is 
  

   reduced 
  to 
  a 
  terminal 
  shaft-streak. 
  Nape 
  white, 
  with 
  three 
  round 
  dark 
  spots 
  down 
  

   each 
  web. 
  On 
  the 
  hind 
  neck 
  the 
  white 
  becomes 
  buff 
  and 
  the 
  spots 
  form 
  transverse 
  

   bands. 
  

  

  Mantle, 
  scapulars, 
  back 
  and 
  wing-coverts 
  yellow 
  or 
  olive-brown, 
  with 
  a 
  long, 
  

   narrow, 
  pale 
  buff 
  shaft-streak, 
  and 
  the 
  inner 
  webs 
  mottled, 
  or 
  solid 
  black, 
  or 
  with 
  a 
  

   terminal 
  spot 
  of 
  this 
  colour. 
  In 
  the 
  feathers 
  down 
  the 
  median 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  the 
  

   black 
  is 
  equal 
  on 
  each 
  web 
  and 
  extensive, 
  limiting 
  the 
  yellow 
  brown 
  to 
  a 
  narrow 
  margin 
  

   and 
  to 
  the 
  basal 
  portion. 
  

  

  The 
  ventral 
  surface, 
  from 
  breast 
  to 
  under 
  tail-coverts, 
  shows 
  an 
  almost 
  uniform 
  

   pattern 
  of 
  chestnut, 
  with 
  two 
  large 
  tapering 
  lines 
  of 
  black 
  down 
  each 
  web. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  young 
  male 
  which 
  is 
  well 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  moult 
  into 
  the 
  first 
  year 
  plumage 
  the 
  

   inner 
  eight 
  primaries 
  are 
  all 
  new, 
  No. 
  8 
  being 
  only 
  25 
  mm. 
  out 
  of 
  its 
  sheath, 
  while 
  

   Nos. 
  9 
  and 
  10 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  completed 
  their 
  delayed 
  growth. 
  

  

  The 
  secondaries 
  are 
  all 
  new, 
  although 
  the 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  innermost 
  ones 
  are 
  still 
  

   in 
  active 
  growth. 
  No. 
  1 
  shows 
  its 
  very 
  long 
  delay 
  by 
  being 
  only 
  half-grown 
  at 
  this 
  

   late 
  period. 
  This 
  is 
  unquestionably 
  the 
  last 
  flight-feather 
  to 
  be 
  shed. 
  

  

  The 
  sixteen 
  tail-feathers 
  are 
  all 
  new 
  and 
  growing 
  actively, 
  but 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   on 
  the 
  whole 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  double 
  tail. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  the 
  extreme 
  precocial 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  tail-coverts, 
  five 
  pairs 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  actually 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  

   true 
  tail, 
  reaching 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  145 
  mm. 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  125 
  mm. 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  itself. 
  

   In 
  colour 
  and 
  pattern 
  this 
  pseudo 
  tail 
  exactly 
  corresponds 
  to 
  the 
  central 
  pair 
  of 
  rectrices, 
  

  

  