﻿NEPAL 
  KOKLASS 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Pucrasia 
  macrolopha 
  nipalensis 
  Gould 
  

  

  NAMES. 
  — 
  Specific 
  : 
  nipalensis, 
  from 
  Nepal, 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  bird. 
  English 
  : 
  Nepal 
  Koklass 
  or 
  Pucras 
  

   Pheasant. 
  Native 
  : 
  Pokrass 
  (Nepal). 
  

  

  Brief 
  Description. 
  — 
  Male 
  : 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  Common 
  Koklass 
  (P. 
  macrolopha 
  macrolopha), 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  

   feathers 
  of 
  the 
  back, 
  rump, 
  sides 
  and 
  flanks 
  black, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  edged 
  with 
  grey. 
  The 
  wing-coverts 
  black, 
  edged 
  

   with 
  buff 
  or 
  rufous. 
  The 
  sides 
  and 
  hind 
  neck 
  and 
  upper 
  mantle 
  black, 
  strongly 
  marked 
  with 
  chestnut. 
  

   Female: 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  Common 
  Koklass, 
  but 
  showing 
  a 
  decided 
  erythrism 
  throughout 
  the 
  plumage; 
  the 
  

   whites 
  of 
  macrolopha 
  being 
  buffs, 
  and 
  the 
  buffy 
  areas 
  turning 
  to 
  warm 
  rufous. 
  

  

  Range. 
  — 
  Western 
  Nepal. 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  

  

  The 
  Nepal 
  Koklass 
  Pheasant 
  is 
  the 
  eastern 
  offshoot 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  Koklass. 
  

   The 
  most 
  extreme 
  individuals 
  of 
  this 
  form 
  are 
  those 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  

   farthest 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  although 
  this 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  central 
  Nepal, 
  west 
  of 
  Khachi. 
  It 
  is 
  

   certain 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  occur 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  which 
  rise 
  near 
  the 
  peak 
  of 
  

   Dhaulagiri 
  and 
  flow 
  south-eastward 
  into 
  the 
  Gunduck. 
  

  

  From 
  here 
  westward 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  Koklass 
  Pheasants 
  partaking 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  

   of 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  true 
  macrolopha. 
  Many 
  specimens 
  collected 
  between 
  Jemlah 
  

   and 
  the 
  eastern 
  border 
  of 
  Kumaon 
  are 
  indistinguishable 
  from 
  dark-mantled 
  macrolopha 
  

   from 
  eastern 
  Garhwal. 
  (This 
  region 
  bridges 
  the 
  hiatus 
  of 
  valleys 
  which 
  separates 
  

   Tragopan 
  melanocephalus 
  from 
  satyra.) 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  series 
  of 
  forty 
  or 
  fifty 
  Nepal 
  Koklass 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  form 
  a 
  most 
  

   remarkable 
  assemblage. 
  Taking 
  the 
  extreme 
  form, 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  Nepal 
  birds 
  differ 
  

   from 
  the 
  typical 
  macrolopha 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  dorsal 
  plumage, 
  instead 
  of 
  remaining 
  grey, 
  

   darkens 
  until 
  black 
  is 
  the 
  dominant 
  colour. 
  To 
  see 
  an 
  extreme 
  individual 
  with 
  the 
  

   lateral 
  ventral 
  plumage 
  black 
  instead 
  of 
  pale 
  ashy 
  grey, 
  the 
  mantle 
  chiefly 
  chestnut 
  

   and 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  predominantly 
  black 
  instead 
  of 
  ashy, 
  is 
  to 
  

   conclude 
  at 
  once 
  that 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  clearly 
  marked 
  species. 
  But 
  the 
  links 
  connecting 
  

   the 
  extremes 
  are 
  so 
  gradual 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  absolutely 
  no 
  place 
  to 
  draw 
  a 
  line 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  

   no 
  sudden 
  break 
  in 
  either 
  colour 
  or 
  pattern. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  slight 
  but 
  gradual 
  decrease 
  

   in 
  general 
  size 
  from 
  macrolopha 
  to 
  extreme 
  nipalensis. 
  

  

  As 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  or 
  absence 
  of 
  chestnut 
  on 
  the 
  mantle, 
  it 
  is 
  decidedly 
  not 
  due 
  

   to 
  age. 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  young 
  males 
  which 
  have 
  just 
  completed 
  their 
  first 
  autumn 
  

   moult 
  and 
  found 
  the 
  colour 
  absent 
  in 
  some 
  and 
  very 
  much 
  developed 
  in 
  others. 
  Its 
  

   greater 
  or 
  less 
  development, 
  however, 
  is 
  correlated 
  with 
  the 
  corresponding 
  geographical 
  

  

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