﻿PUCRASIA 
  

   KOKLASS 
  PHEASANTS 
  

  

  Order 
  GALLIFORMES 
  

  

  Family 
  PHASIANIDAE 
  

  

  Subfamily 
  PHASIANINAE 
  

   Genus 
  PUCRASIA 
  

  

  The 
  Koklass 
  Pheasants 
  are 
  birds 
  of 
  medium 
  size, 
  and 
  impossible 
  to 
  place 
  with 
  

   any 
  certainty 
  in 
  a 
  linear 
  scheme 
  of 
  classification. 
  They 
  show 
  traces 
  of 
  resemblance 
  to 
  

   several 
  groups, 
  and 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  moderate 
  length 
  of 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  cocks, 
  perhaps 
  come 
  as 
  

   close 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Syrmaticus 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  defined 
  it, 
  as 
  to 
  any 
  other. 
  The 
  syrinx 
  is 
  

   extremely 
  close 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  Phasianus, 
  The 
  head 
  in 
  both 
  sexes 
  is 
  entirely 
  feathered. 
  

   The 
  male 
  has 
  an 
  elongated 
  crest, 
  and, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  posterior 
  portion 
  being 
  of 
  a 
  different 
  

   colour 
  and 
  sprouting 
  rather 
  densely 
  behind 
  the 
  ear-coverts, 
  this 
  portion 
  has 
  been 
  

   considered 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  ear-tufts 
  than 
  a 
  crest. 
  This 
  posterior 
  crest, 
  

   however, 
  on 
  examination 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  extend 
  clear 
  across 
  the 
  occiput. 
  The 
  crest 
  in 
  the 
  

   female 
  is 
  shorter. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  feathers 
  are 
  lanceolate. 
  The 
  tail 
  consists 
  of 
  sixteen 
  feathers, 
  and 
  

   is 
  extremely 
  graduated 
  and 
  wedge-shaped 
  ; 
  the 
  middle 
  pair 
  are 
  slightly 
  the 
  longest, 
  and 
  

   about 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  outer 
  pair. 
  The 
  tail-coverts 
  simulate 
  the 
  tail 
  itself 
  in 
  their 
  

   colour, 
  great 
  length 
  and 
  gradation. 
  

  

  The 
  wings 
  appear 
  exceedingly 
  long 
  and 
  pointed 
  for 
  a 
  pheasant, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  the 
  primaries 
  extend 
  well 
  beyond 
  the 
  secondaries 
  when 
  the 
  wing 
  is 
  closed. 
  The 
  

   ist 
  primary 
  is 
  considerably 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  2nd, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  8th 
  ; 
  the 
  

   4th 
  is 
  slightly 
  the 
  longest 
  of 
  the 
  series. 
  The 
  tarsus 
  is 
  slightly 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  middle 
  

   toe 
  and 
  claw. 
  

  

  The 
  sexes 
  are 
  unlike, 
  but 
  with 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  great 
  a 
  difference 
  as 
  exists 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  

   of 
  many 
  other 
  pheasants. 
  The 
  male 
  shows 
  more 
  solid, 
  concentrated 
  areas 
  of 
  colour, 
  

   such 
  as 
  the 
  bicoloured 
  crest, 
  the 
  green 
  head, 
  and 
  the 
  solid 
  chestnut 
  ventral 
  line. 
  The 
  

   male 
  is 
  armed 
  with 
  a 
  moderately 
  long 
  and 
  stout 
  pair 
  of 
  spurs. 
  

  

  PUCRASIA 
  

  

  Type 
  

   Eulophus 
  Less, 
  (nee 
  Geoffr., 
  Hym. 
  1764) 
  Comp. 
  Buffon, 
  1836, 
  VII. 
  p. 
  354 
  . 
  .P. 
  nipalensis. 
  

  

  Pucrasia 
  Gray, 
  List 
  Gen. 
  Birds 
  1841, 
  p. 
  79 
  . 
  P. 
  macrolopha. 
  

  

  Gallophasis 
  Hodgs. 
  J. 
  As. 
  Soc. 
  Beng. 
  1843, 
  XII. 
  pt. 
  I. 
  p. 
  313 
  .... 
  P 
  . 
  nipalensis 
  . 
  

   Lophotetrax 
  Cab. 
  Ersch 
  u. 
  Grub. 
  Encycl. 
  sec. 
  3, 
  1846, 
  XXII. 
  p. 
  144 
  . 
  . 
  .P. 
  macrolopha. 
  

  

  Lochmophasis 
  Heine, 
  Nomencl. 
  Mus. 
  Hein. 
  1890, 
  p. 
  298 
  P. 
  nipalensis. 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  