﻿STONE'S 
  PHEASANT 
  109 
  

  

  Yunnan 
  in 
  long 
  grass 
  and 
  fern, 
  or 
  in 
  fir 
  woods, 
  singly 
  or 
  in 
  pairs, 
  and 
  once 
  in 
  a 
  

   covey 
  of 
  ten. 
  

  

  Three 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  Charles 
  M. 
  Inglis, 
  apparently 
  from 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  seven, 
  

   were 
  indistinguishable 
  from 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  pheasant, 
  a 
  deep 
  brownish 
  olive 
  in 
  

   colour. 
  They 
  measured 
  34-2 
  by 
  44' 
  1, 
  35 
  by 
  44-4, 
  and 
  34-1 
  by 
  43-9 
  mm. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  examine 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  individuals, 
  so 
  that 
  I 
  feel 
  more 
  certain 
  in 
  

   copying 
  the 
  detailed 
  description 
  given 
  by 
  E. 
  C. 
  Stuart 
  Baker, 
  as 
  he 
  must 
  have 
  access 
  to 
  

   large 
  series. 
  

  

  DETAILED 
  DESCRIPTION 
  

  

  Adult 
  Male. 
  — 
  Crown 
  from 
  forehead 
  to 
  nape 
  and 
  hind 
  neck 
  bronze 
  green, 
  the 
  ear 
  

   tufts 
  darker 
  and 
  more 
  blue 
  ; 
  chin 
  and 
  throat 
  deep 
  green 
  ; 
  neck 
  in 
  front 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  

   deep 
  purple 
  blue, 
  with 
  purple 
  copper 
  reflections 
  in 
  some 
  lights, 
  this 
  colour 
  passing 
  

   around 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  as 
  a 
  collar 
  behind 
  ; 
  upper 
  back 
  golden 
  chestnut, 
  changing 
  

   into 
  deep 
  chestnut 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  scapulars 
  ; 
  the 
  feathers 
  next 
  the 
  neck 
  are 
  centred 
  

   with 
  black 
  and 
  their 
  tips 
  are 
  notched 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  ; 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  

   scapulars 
  have 
  black 
  centres 
  mottled 
  and 
  sub-outlined 
  with 
  buff, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  notches 
  

   as 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  back, 
  but 
  the 
  black 
  obsolete. 
  Lower 
  back, 
  rump 
  and 
  tail-feathers 
  pale 
  

   green-grey, 
  with 
  sub-terminal 
  bars 
  of 
  lustrous 
  emerald 
  green, 
  and 
  each 
  feather 
  with 
  the 
  

   concealed 
  base 
  black 
  with 
  buff 
  concentric 
  bands. 
  Tail-feathers 
  rufous 
  brown 
  with 
  broad 
  

   black 
  bars, 
  narrowly 
  edged 
  above 
  and 
  below 
  with 
  golden 
  buff; 
  the 
  central 
  pair 
  have 
  

   wide 
  margins 
  of 
  pink 
  grey, 
  across 
  which 
  the 
  black 
  bands 
  are 
  continued 
  as 
  dull 
  purple 
  

   marks 
  ; 
  on 
  each 
  succeeding 
  pair 
  the 
  pink 
  edges 
  are 
  reduced 
  in 
  size, 
  and 
  are 
  absent 
  on 
  

   the 
  outermost 
  pair, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  on 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  pairs 
  also. 
  

  

  Wing 
  coverts 
  pale 
  green 
  grey 
  with 
  emerald 
  green 
  reflections, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  

   innermost 
  greater 
  coverts 
  splashed 
  with 
  maroon, 
  broadly 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  and 
  narrowly 
  

   on 
  the 
  inner 
  webs 
  ; 
  quills 
  brown, 
  the 
  primaries 
  barred 
  with 
  buff 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  webs, 
  and 
  

   with 
  broken 
  bars 
  on 
  the 
  inner; 
  secondaries 
  broadly 
  edged 
  with 
  olive 
  brown 
  and 
  

   irregularly 
  marked 
  with 
  buff 
  on 
  both 
  webs. 
  

  

  Below, 
  breast 
  deep 
  glossy 
  green, 
  each 
  feather 
  narrowly 
  margined 
  with 
  velvety 
  black, 
  

   and 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  breast 
  notched, 
  though 
  less 
  conspicuously 
  so 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  ; 
  

   flanks 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  breast 
  golden 
  copper, 
  becoming 
  almost 
  purple 
  copper 
  next 
  the 
  

   green 
  of 
  the 
  breast, 
  each 
  feather 
  with 
  a 
  bold 
  edging 
  of 
  velvet 
  black 
  which 
  runs 
  down 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  towards 
  the 
  green 
  base 
  ; 
  vest, 
  thighs 
  and 
  centre 
  of 
  abdomen 
  dull 
  brown 
  ; 
  

   under 
  tail 
  coverts 
  chestnut 
  with 
  black 
  marks. 
  Facial 
  skin 
  scarlet, 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  lead 
  

   colour. 
  Measurements: 
  bill 
  from 
  gape, 
  35-5 
  mm. 
  ; 
  wing, 
  210-8 
  to 
  228'6 
  ; 
  tail, 
  391-1 
  to 
  

   487-6; 
  tarsus, 
  63-5 
  to 
  68-5 
  ; 
  spur, 
  io'i 
  mm. 
  

  

  Adult 
  Female. 
  — 
  Crown 
  and 
  neck 
  dark 
  brown 
  or 
  black 
  with 
  narrow 
  bars 
  of 
  buff, 
  

   sometimes 
  with 
  a 
  distinct 
  tinge 
  of 
  chestnut 
  ; 
  back 
  and 
  scapulars 
  chestnut 
  with 
  white 
  

   sub-edging, 
  and 
  very 
  fine 
  edges 
  of 
  black 
  and 
  a 
  bold 
  bar 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  between 
  the 
  chestnut 
  

   and 
  the 
  white. 
  Remainder 
  of 
  upper 
  plumage 
  pale 
  grey 
  brown 
  with 
  narrow 
  buff 
  edges 
  

   and 
  black 
  centres, 
  with 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  tinge 
  of 
  chestnut 
  showing 
  very 
  irregularly. 
  

   Central 
  tail-feathers 
  pale 
  olive 
  brown 
  with 
  narrow 
  paler 
  cross-bars 
  broadly 
  margined 
  on 
  

  

  