﻿CHEER 
  PHEASANT 
  65 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  sides 
  the 
  black 
  persists 
  as 
  irregular 
  blotches, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  sides 
  and 
  

   thighs 
  it 
  increases 
  as 
  two 
  black 
  bars. 
  

  

  Mandibles 
  pale 
  brownish 
  horn, 
  sometimes 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  yellow 
  ; 
  facial 
  skin 
  increas- 
  

   ingly 
  crimson 
  as 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  approaches 
  ; 
  iris 
  reddish 
  brown 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  

   pale 
  lead 
  colour. 
  Weight, 
  2 
  lbs. 
  to 
  2 
  lbs. 
  10 
  ozs. 
  Length, 
  660 
  mm. 
  ; 
  extent 
  of 
  wings, 
  

   680; 
  bill 
  from 
  nostril, 
  24; 
  wing, 
  230; 
  tail, 
  383; 
  tarsus, 
  63; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw, 
  61. 
  

   Spurs, 
  low 
  blunt 
  scalules. 
  

  

  Chick 
  in 
  Down. 
  — 
  A 
  very 
  young 
  Cheer 
  chick 
  shows 
  quite 
  distinct 
  colour 
  zones 
  

   separating 
  head 
  and 
  body. 
  The 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  crown, 
  widening 
  posteriorly 
  and 
  ending 
  

   on 
  the 
  nape, 
  is 
  dark 
  chocolate 
  or 
  mahogany. 
  Obliquely 
  downward 
  from 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   corner 
  of 
  the 
  eye, 
  a 
  sharp, 
  narrow, 
  jet-black 
  line 
  extends 
  to 
  the 
  ear-coverts, 
  where 
  it 
  

   expands, 
  and 
  then, 
  narrowing 
  again, 
  continues 
  back 
  down 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  neck. 
  

   Elsewhere 
  the 
  head 
  above 
  is 
  rich 
  creamy 
  buff, 
  paling 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  face. 
  Abruptly 
  

   at 
  the 
  lower 
  neck 
  the 
  body-down 
  becomes 
  a 
  grizzled 
  grey, 
  with 
  dark 
  chocolate 
  on 
  

   shoulder-spots, 
  anterior 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  wing, 
  and 
  entire 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  back. 
  This 
  latter 
  

   area 
  is 
  trisected 
  by 
  two 
  lateral 
  lines 
  of 
  pale 
  grey, 
  reaching 
  back 
  almost 
  to 
  the 
  tail- 
  

   down, 
  which 
  in 
  turn 
  has 
  a 
  warm 
  buffy 
  tinge. 
  

  

  The 
  buff 
  of 
  the 
  face 
  pales 
  to 
  a 
  creamy 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  throat, 
  the 
  remainder 
  

   of 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  being 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  greyish 
  white. 
  The 
  chick 
  measures 
  : 
  length, 
  100 
  mm. 
  ; 
  

   bill 
  from 
  nostril, 
  6; 
  wing, 
  30; 
  tarsus, 
  21 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw, 
  18. 
  

  

  Juvenile 
  Plumage. 
  — 
  Lores, 
  broad 
  superciliary 
  and 
  large 
  sub-ocular 
  patch, 
  chin, 
  

   throat, 
  and 
  side 
  neck 
  pure 
  white. 
  Crown 
  dark 
  brown, 
  bordered 
  on 
  occiput 
  with 
  buff, 
  

   the 
  feathers 
  being 
  normal 
  in 
  shape 
  with 
  as 
  yet 
  no 
  hint 
  of 
  a 
  crest. 
  Mantle, 
  scapulars, 
  

   upper 
  back 
  and 
  tertiaries 
  rufous 
  or 
  greyish 
  buff 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  wide, 
  prominent, 
  tapering, 
  

   white 
  shaft-stripe, 
  the 
  distal 
  half 
  of 
  this 
  being 
  bordered 
  with 
  black. 
  Wing-coverts 
  

   without 
  the 
  rufous 
  tinge, 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  narrow 
  shaft-stripe 
  and 
  broad 
  terminal 
  margin 
  

   of 
  white, 
  and 
  a 
  stain 
  of 
  rust-colour 
  just 
  basal 
  to 
  the 
  latter. 
  Secondaries 
  a 
  finely 
  mottled 
  

   brownish 
  ; 
  background 
  of 
  the 
  primaries 
  clear 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  flight-feathers 
  

   with 
  pale 
  buff 
  cross-bars, 
  chiefly 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  web, 
  very 
  narrow 
  on 
  the 
  secondaries, 
  and 
  

   much 
  wider 
  on 
  the 
  primaries. 
  Lower 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  of 
  disintegrated, 
  patternless 
  

   feathers. 
  Tail 
  mottled 
  like 
  the 
  secondaries, 
  with 
  rather 
  indistinct 
  bars. 
  Lower 
  parts, 
  

   beginning 
  abruptly 
  at 
  the 
  neck, 
  sandy 
  buff 
  with 
  a 
  wide, 
  white 
  shaft-stripe. 
  On 
  the 
  

   sides 
  the 
  buff 
  deepens 
  and 
  the 
  stripe 
  widens 
  until 
  the 
  general 
  appearance 
  approximates 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  mantle. 
  On 
  the 
  lower 
  breast 
  and 
  belly 
  the 
  buff 
  disappears, 
  posteriorly 
  

   giving 
  place 
  altogether 
  to 
  pure 
  white. 
  Bill 
  from 
  nostril, 
  11 
  mm.; 
  wing, 
  131; 
  tarsus, 
  

   48 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw, 
  37. 
  

  

  First 
  Year 
  Plumage, 
  Male. 
  — 
  The 
  young 
  birds, 
  after 
  their 
  moult 
  from 
  the 
  

   juvenile 
  dress, 
  appear 
  in 
  general 
  like 
  the 
  adults, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  considerably 
  smaller, 
  

   and 
  on 
  close 
  examination 
  differ 
  in 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  characters. 
  They 
  have 
  considerably 
  

   less 
  chestnut 
  in 
  the 
  tail-feathers, 
  less 
  visible 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  ventral 
  plumage, 
  and 
  much 
  

   more 
  yellow 
  buff 
  on 
  those 
  parts, 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  resembling 
  the 
  female. 
  On 
  the 
  upper 
  

   surface 
  we 
  find 
  much 
  less 
  metallic 
  green, 
  often 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  central 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mantle. 
  

  

  