﻿BURMESE 
  BARRED-BACKED 
  PHEASANT 
  187 
  

  

  DETAILED 
  DESCRIPTION 
  

  

  Adult 
  Male. 
  — 
  Forehead, 
  crown 
  and 
  nape 
  dusky 
  brown, 
  with 
  much 
  concealed 
  

   basal 
  white. 
  Chin 
  also 
  dusky 
  brown, 
  showing 
  posteriorly 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  steel-blue 
  

   margins, 
  until 
  this 
  colour 
  predominates 
  on 
  the 
  throat, 
  the 
  neck 
  all 
  around, 
  upper 
  mantle 
  

   and 
  breast. 
  Mantle 
  rufous 
  with 
  a 
  broad, 
  disintegrated 
  fringe 
  of 
  fiery 
  red, 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  

   rounded 
  spot 
  at 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  the 
  shaft. 
  The 
  back 
  is 
  black 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  white 
  fringe 
  

   5 
  mm. 
  in 
  width, 
  and 
  two 
  narrow 
  cross-bars 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour, 
  the 
  black 
  between 
  the 
  

   distal 
  cross-bar 
  and 
  the 
  fringe 
  being 
  glossed 
  with 
  blue. 
  The 
  rump-feathers 
  show 
  a 
  

   general 
  degeneration 
  of 
  the 
  pattern, 
  the 
  feathers 
  being 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  mottled 
  black 
  and 
  

   white, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  birds 
  the 
  white 
  fringe 
  becomes 
  a 
  golden 
  yellow 
  buff 
  with 
  considerable 
  

   sheen. 
  This 
  is 
  interesting 
  as 
  approximating 
  the 
  rump 
  coloration 
  of 
  the 
  firebacks 
  and 
  

   copper 
  pheasants. 
  

  

  The 
  wing 
  shows 
  the 
  same 
  general 
  scheme 
  of 
  colouring 
  and 
  pattern 
  as 
  in 
  ellioti, 
  

   namely, 
  successive 
  bands 
  of 
  colour, 
  beginning 
  at 
  the 
  antero-interior 
  or 
  shoulder 
  edge 
  of 
  

   the 
  wing 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  (a) 
  White 
  band 
  with 
  slight 
  blue 
  outer 
  border 
  

  

  (b) 
  Broad 
  band 
  of 
  chestnut 
  with 
  metallic-red 
  fringe 
  . 
  

  

  (c) 
  Band 
  of 
  steel 
  blue 
  ...... 
  

  

  (d) 
  Very 
  broad 
  band 
  of 
  chestnut 
  with 
  very 
  narrow 
  fringe 
  

  

  (e) 
  White 
  band, 
  with 
  partly 
  concealed 
  black 
  inner 
  border 
  . 
  

   {/>£) 
  Wide 
  chestnut 
  band 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  secondaries, 
  followed 
  by 
  the\ 
  «.o 
  

  

  successive 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  bars 
  of 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  these 
  feathers 
  

  

  Average 
  width. 
  

   15 
  mm. 
  

   28 
  

  

  38 
  

   15 
  

  

  The 
  coverts 
  and 
  rectrices 
  are 
  much 
  as 
  in 
  ellioti, 
  save 
  that 
  the 
  grey 
  interspaces 
  are 
  

   very 
  wide, 
  and 
  the 
  narrow 
  cross-bars 
  are 
  black 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  chestnut 
  along 
  the 
  

   distal 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  black. 
  

  

  The 
  coverts 
  are 
  much 
  mottled, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  lateral 
  feathers 
  the 
  black 
  increases 
  and 
  

   the 
  chestnut 
  gradually 
  disappears. 
  

  

  The 
  lower 
  breast 
  shows 
  considerable 
  fiery 
  fringe 
  and 
  black 
  spots, 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  mantle, 
  

   but 
  after 
  a 
  few 
  rows 
  of 
  feathers 
  these 
  characters 
  disappear, 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  

   ventral 
  surface 
  and 
  sides 
  is 
  wholly 
  dark 
  rich 
  chestnut. 
  On 
  the 
  flanks 
  and 
  thighs 
  

   considerable 
  black 
  marking 
  appears, 
  and 
  the 
  under 
  tail-coverts 
  are 
  wholly 
  black 
  with 
  

   a 
  slight 
  greenish 
  gloss. 
  

  

  Iris 
  hazel 
  brown 
  ; 
  facial 
  skin 
  scarlet 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  grey 
  or 
  dull 
  yellowish 
  horn 
  

   colour. 
  Beak 
  from 
  nostril, 
  18 
  mm. 
  ; 
  wing, 
  230; 
  tail, 
  610; 
  tarsus, 
  66; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  

   claw, 
  54. 
  Spur 
  curved 
  and 
  usually 
  slender, 
  18 
  mm. 
  

  

  Adult 
  Female. 
  — 
  The 
  dorsal 
  plumage 
  is 
  in 
  no 
  way 
  distinguishable 
  from 
  that 
  

   of 
  ellioti. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  ventral 
  surface 
  the 
  only 
  distinguishing 
  character 
  (except 
  in 
  the 
  rare 
  

   individuals 
  of 
  Elliot 
  females 
  which 
  almost 
  lack 
  the 
  throat 
  patch) 
  is 
  the 
  very 
  great 
  

   reduction 
  of 
  black, 
  although 
  in 
  no 
  case 
  is 
  it 
  altogether 
  absent. 
  Still 
  this 
  character 
  

   on 
  the 
  whole 
  is 
  a 
  diagnostic 
  one, 
  as 
  the 
  black 
  never 
  forms 
  a 
  solid 
  mass, 
  but 
  at 
  most 
  

   conspicuous 
  bands 
  and 
  shaft-stripes 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  throat, 
  with 
  a 
  sprinkling 
  of 
  isolated 
  

   round 
  spots 
  on 
  either 
  the 
  outer 
  or 
  inner 
  webs 
  of 
  scattered 
  breast-feathers. 
  The 
  more 
  

   usual 
  occurrence 
  is 
  as 
  narrow 
  shaft-streaks 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  neck, 
  while 
  the 
  lower 
  breast 
  

   and 
  belly 
  are 
  creamy 
  white 
  with 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  wide 
  diffused 
  cross-bars 
  of 
  pale 
  buff. 
  

  

  