PENCILLED PHEASANT. 



235 



head covered with a carunculated, crimson, bare 

 skin, which is capable of distension it is prolonged 

 above the eyes in form of a comb, and falls on 

 each side the under mandible of the jaw, like two 

 wattles : the head is ornamented with a long crest 

 of loose webs ; it falls behind, and is of a deep 

 purple : the upper parts of the body are white, 

 each feather marked with black stripes parallel to 

 the margin ; this forms an agreeable contrast to 

 the plumage of the under parts of the neck and 

 body, which is of a purple-black : the tail is wedge- 

 shaped ; the feathers white, obliquely striated 

 with black, except the two middle ones, which are 

 plain white : the legs are red, furnished with a 

 white spur. The female is smaller than the male : 

 the beak and the irides are yellowish brown : the 

 eyes surrounded by a red skin, which is narrower 

 and less bright than in the male : the top of the 

 head is somewhat crested and brown : the throat 

 and cheeks are whitish : the neck, the breast, the 

 back, the rump, the wing and upper tail -coverts, 

 rufous brown : the lower part of the breast, the 

 belly, the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts, are 

 dull white, irregularly varied with brown, and 

 crossed with transverse black bands : the quills 

 are dusky ; the secondaries like the back ; those 

 nearest tbe body dotted with white : the two 

 middle tail-feathers, shorter than in the male, 

 brown ; the others brown and white mixed, and 

 striped obliquely with black : the feet are red. 



The female deposits her eggs, which vary in 

 number, from eight to fourteen, about the month 



