﻿CATREUS 
  

   CHEER 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  Family 
  PHASIANIDAE 
  

  

  Subfamily 
  PHASIANINAE 
  

   Genus 
  CATREUS 
  

  

  The 
  sombre 
  but 
  harmoniously 
  coloured 
  Cheer 
  Pheasant 
  stands 
  quite 
  alone 
  in 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  characters, 
  sufficiently 
  insulated 
  from 
  the 
  nearest 
  related 
  groups 
  to 
  warrant 
  

   its 
  inclusion 
  within 
  a 
  separate 
  genus. 
  From 
  Phasianus 
  (as 
  I 
  define 
  it) 
  the 
  Cheer 
  is 
  at 
  

   once 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  firm 
  webbing 
  of 
  the 
  rump 
  feathers 
  and 
  from 
  both 
  this 
  genus 
  

   and 
  Syrmaticus 
  by 
  the 
  similarity 
  in 
  colouring 
  of 
  the 
  sexes, 
  and 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  a 
  crest. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these 
  characters, 
  the 
  general 
  carriage 
  of 
  the 
  Cheer, 
  especially 
  when 
  

   running 
  at 
  full 
  speed, 
  its 
  notes, 
  and 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  its 
  egg, 
  all 
  set 
  it 
  apart. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  

   hand, 
  we 
  may 
  consider 
  it 
  somewhat 
  intermediate 
  between 
  certain 
  groups, 
  as 
  combining 
  

   the 
  long, 
  narrow 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  pheasants 
  with 
  the 
  pinnated 
  crest 
  and 
  bare 
  facial 
  skin 
  

   of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  kaleege 
  pheasants. 
  

  

  A 
  narrow-vaned, 
  hairy, 
  occipital 
  crest 
  is 
  present, 
  long 
  and 
  flowing 
  in 
  the 
  cock, 
  

   shorter 
  in 
  the 
  hen. 
  Both 
  sexes 
  are 
  clad 
  in 
  dull 
  buffy 
  white, 
  with 
  black 
  bars 
  and 
  other 
  

   markings, 
  relieved 
  only 
  by 
  a 
  dull 
  gold 
  or 
  rust 
  colour 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  of 
  the 
  cock. 
  

   The 
  short, 
  strong 
  spurs 
  of 
  the 
  cock 
  are 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  female 
  by 
  low 
  blunt 
  processes. 
  

   There 
  are 
  eighteen 
  feathers 
  in 
  the 
  tail, 
  which 
  is 
  strongly 
  cross-barred, 
  long, 
  and 
  extremely 
  

   graduated, 
  the 
  inner 
  pair 
  of 
  rectrices 
  being 
  at 
  least 
  five 
  times 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  outer 
  pair. 
  

   The 
  i 
  st 
  primary 
  is 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  ioth 
  ; 
  the 
  5th 
  being 
  the 
  longest 
  of 
  this 
  series. 
  

  

  CATREUS 
  

  

  Type 
  

   Catreus 
  Cab. 
  Ersch. 
  u. 
  Grub. 
  Encycl. 
  sec. 
  I, 
  1851, 
  LIII. 
  p. 
  221 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  C. 
  wallichii. 
  

   Lophophasianus 
  Reichenb. 
  Nat. 
  Syst. 
  Vog. 
  1852, 
  p. 
  xxxix 
  C. 
  wallichii. 
  

  

  The 
  genus 
  Catreus 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  species, 
  the 
  Cheer 
  Pheasant, 
  Catreus 
  

   wallichii 
  (Hardwicke), 
  and 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  area 
  in 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  

   central 
  Himalayas. 
  

  

  49 
  

  

  