136 THE CRESTLESS MOONAL. 



I have never seen the bird alive, but I have examined a very 

 fine skin of a male, and a brief description taken from this skin 

 may be useful : — 



" The entire lower parts, including the wing lining, velvet black ; 

 the feathers in one light with a dim slightly greenish, and in 

 another light with a faint purplish reflection. 



" The sides, top, and back of the head metallic green ; all the 

 occipital and nuchal feathers curled up, much like the feathers 

 on a pelican's neck ; the ear-coverts metallic green, with a de- 

 cided steel blue glance ; the entire back and sides of the neck 

 rich burnished copper colour ; base of the back of the neck and 

 entire interscapulary region very bright metallic green, scarcely 

 at all mingled with any other coloured reflections ; middle back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts pure silvery white ; most of the 

 feathers of the rump dark shafted ; tail a deep maroon chestnut, 

 all the feathers broadly tipped with white ; primaries and their 

 greater coverts and secondaries black, the latter with metallic 

 reflections towards the tips on the outer webs ; the rest of the 

 wing and scapulars all with a brilliant metallic lustre, as it were 

 burnished, mostly more or less green in one light, but the 

 feathers about the shoulder of the wing with a deep steel blue 

 and purple glow ; the lesser coverts immediately below these 

 with an intense ruddy golden or coppery glow, and most of the 

 lesser and median coverts and the outer scapulars with more or 

 less of golden or coppery reflections in different lights. 



A THIRD species of this genus, Lophophoriis Vhnysii, is known 

 from Chinese Tibet. It is even larger than either of our birds, 

 and is well crested, though the crest is quite different to that 

 of the common Moonal. 



^Q ^lLJ 



