﻿HUME'S 
  BARRED-BACKED 
  PHEASANT 
  

  

  183 
  

  

  COMPARISON 
  OF 
  ADULT 
  MALES, 
  HUMIAE 
  AND 
  BURMANICUS 
  

  

  The 
  adult 
  male, 
  humiae, 
  resembles 
  burmanicus, 
  except 
  that 
  the 
  white 
  fringe 
  of 
  the 
  

   lower 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  is 
  much 
  narrower, 
  measuring 
  2 
  to 
  2-5 
  mm., 
  compared 
  with 
  about 
  

   5 
  mm. 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  bird. 
  This 
  character 
  is 
  constant 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  the 
  general 
  

   ranges 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  forms. 
  In 
  Burmese 
  birds 
  we 
  almost 
  invariably 
  find 
  a 
  very 
  decided 
  

   increase 
  of 
  chestnut, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  wing-bars 
  and 
  tail-feathers. 
  There 
  are 
  no 
  other 
  

   characters 
  which 
  are 
  at 
  all 
  constant 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  series 
  of 
  individuals. 
  

  

  An 
  adult 
  male 
  in 
  full 
  plumage 
  shows 
  the 
  following 
  characters, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  

   burmanicus. 
  The 
  white 
  scapular 
  band 
  is 
  much 
  reduced, 
  while 
  the 
  alar 
  band 
  (b) 
  of 
  

   chestnut 
  is 
  almost 
  absent. 
  In 
  fact, 
  the 
  whole 
  anterior 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  is 
  rather 
  

   faded 
  metallic 
  blue. 
  Band 
  {d) 
  is 
  also 
  reduced 
  about 
  half, 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  tips 
  to 
  the 
  

   coverts 
  and 
  secondaries 
  are 
  wider. 
  The 
  measurements 
  in 
  millimetres 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  (On 
  wing 
  proper). 
  

  

  (a) 
  white 
  . 
  

  

  (b) 
  chestnut 
  

  

  (c) 
  faded 
  blue 
  

  

  (d) 
  chestnut 
  

  

  (e) 
  white 
  . 
  

   (/) 
  chestnut 
  

   {g) 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  10 
  

   38 
  

   20 
  

   13 
  

   43 
  

   18 
  

  

  The 
  blue 
  of 
  the 
  wing, 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  less 
  extent 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  neck, 
  is 
  a 
  grey 
  steel 
  blue, 
  not 
  

   the 
  dark 
  steel 
  blue 
  of 
  burmanicus. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  the 
  white 
  fringe 
  is 
  only 
  2 
  mm., 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  5 
  mm. 
  in 
  

   burmanictis, 
  and 
  adjoining 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  distinct 
  band 
  of 
  steel 
  blue, 
  with 
  a 
  lesser 
  gloss 
  over 
  

   all 
  the 
  large, 
  dark, 
  semicircular 
  area. 
  The 
  two 
  white 
  bars 
  are 
  more 
  basal, 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  

   show 
  when 
  the 
  feathers 
  are 
  in 
  order. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  breast 
  the 
  steel-blue 
  fringes 
  persist 
  well 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  central 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  

   belly. 
  The 
  tail 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  purer, 
  darker 
  grey, 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  mottled 
  and 
  light 
  as 
  in 
  

   burmanicus. 
  Two 
  male 
  birds 
  collected 
  in 
  central 
  Katha, 
  but 
  in 
  different 
  localities, 
  

   show 
  a 
  decided 
  difference 
  in 
  characters, 
  but 
  the 
  average 
  of 
  both 
  is 
  almost 
  exactly 
  inter- 
  

   mediate 
  between 
  Jmmiae 
  and 
  burmanicus. 
  Thus 
  we 
  unquestionably 
  find 
  the 
  two 
  forms 
  

   intergrading 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  distribution, 
  a 
  trans-Burmese 
  bridge 
  existing 
  

   between 
  Manipur, 
  Katha, 
  and 
  the 
  Ruby 
  Mines 
  District. 
  In 
  the 
  southern 
  parts 
  of 
  their 
  

   ranges 
  the 
  birds 
  apparently 
  do 
  not 
  approach 
  closely, 
  neither 
  form 
  passing 
  over 
  the 
  low, 
  

   flat 
  plains 
  of 
  the 
  Irrawaddy. 
  

  

  Male 
  of 
  the 
  Year. 
  — 
  This 
  bird 
  shows 
  no 
  signs 
  of 
  moult 
  and 
  is 
  almost 
  identical 
  

   with 
  the 
  adult. 
  The 
  wing-bar 
  formula 
  is 
  more 
  like 
  burmanicus, 
  and 
  the 
  neck-gloss 
  is 
  

   more 
  of 
  the 
  faded 
  blue 
  than 
  steel 
  blue. 
  The 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  is 
  typical 
  humiae, 
  but 
  the 
  

   gloss 
  is 
  green 
  rather 
  than 
  blue. 
  The 
  black 
  cross-bars 
  on 
  the 
  tail 
  show 
  a 
  well-marked 
  

   bar 
  of 
  chestnut 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  black. 
  Chin 
  and 
  throat 
  are 
  brown, 
  without 
  gloss. 
  

  

  Male 
  with 
  much 
  Juvenile 
  Plumage.— 
  The 
  white 
  of 
  the 
  side 
  crown 
  has 
  very 
  

   short 
  metallic 
  tips 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  distinct 
  as 
  a 
  broad 
  band 
  from 
  the 
  eye 
  backward, 
  bordering 
  

   the 
  bare 
  face. 
  The 
  steel-blue 
  gloss 
  extends 
  far 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  mantle, 
  the 
  copper 
  and 
  rufous 
  

   area 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  being 
  reduced. 
  The 
  wing 
  is 
  in 
  full 
  moult, 
  and 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  old 
  

   feathers 
  breaks 
  up 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  wing-bars. 
  

  

  