ITHAGINIS CRUENTUS.

Sanguine Francolin.

Phasianus cruentus, Wardw. Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. Dea 23u.
Sanguine Pheasant, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p- 205.
Perdix cruentata, Temm. Pl. Col. 332.

Ithaginis cruentus, Wagl. in Isis, 1832, p. 1228.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. iii. p. 504, Ithaginis, sp. 1.

—Cat. of Spec. and Draw. of Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, Esq.,
p. 126.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. of Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, 241.—List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll.,
ant Wie p. 31.

Francolinus cruentatus, Cuv. Regn. Anim., tom. i. p. 484.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 505.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Gallina-
Cee Ole te ple. 7.

Perdix cruentatus, Jard. Nat. Lib. Gallinacee, vol. ii. p. 90.

Phasianus Gardnerii, Hardw. Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p- 166, female.

Lophophorus Gardneri, Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. ii. p. 180.

Ithaginis Gardneri, Wagl. in Isis, 1832, p. 1228.

 

Tux Ithaginis cruentus is a gallinaceous bird peculiar to the great Himalayan range, and may be regarded as
one of the finest species of the group inhabiting that region ; it differs from them all in structure and also in
the distribution of its colouring ; the propriety therefore of Wagler’s constituting it the type of a distinct
genus is very apparent. So great is the dissimilarity of the sexes, that the late Major General Hardwicke,
to whom we are indebted for our first knowledge of the species, described them as distinct, under the specific
appellations of cruentus and Gardneri: the information he was enabled to furnish respecting it was very
meagre, and I regret to say that up to the present time little more has been acquired. When speaking of
the male, he says: ‘“ This fine species is a native of the Nepaul Hills, and it is to the liberal contributions of
the Honourable Edward Gardner, Resident at the Court of Nepaul, that I am indebted for the opportunity
of describing it.” Of the female he remarks—

“This singular bird is a native of the Snowy Mountains north of the valley of Nepaul, and was procured
through the zealous exertions of my friend Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, aided by the influence of the English Re-
sident at Katmandoo (the Honourable Edward Gardner), without which no single article, of however little
value, is obtainable from that jealous people the Nepaulese. It is the only subject of its kind obtained
during Dr. Wallich’s sojourning at Katmandoo, and from its scarcity at that place it may be deemed one of
the rarities of the country.”

The native habitat of the species has been more recently visited by Dr. Hooker, who has kindly furnished
me with the following notes respecting it :—

“« This, the boldest of the Alpine birds of its kind, frequents the mountain ranges of Eastern Nepaul and
Sikkim at an elevation varying from 10,000 to 14,000 feet, and is very abundant in many of the valleys among
the forests of Pine (ies Webbiana) and Juniper. It seldom or ever crows, but emits a weak cackling noise.
When put up it takes a very short flight and then runs to shelter. Durmg winter it appears to burrow
under or in holes amongst the snow, for I have snared it in January in regions thickly covered with snow
at an altitude of 12,000 feet. I have seen the young in May. The principal food of the bird consisting of
the tops of the pine and juniper in spring, and the berries of the latter in autumn and mamter its flesh, has
always a very strong flavour, and is moreover uncommonly tough; it was, however, the only bird I obtained
at those great elevations in tolerable abundance for food, and that not very frequently. The Bhoteas say
that it acquires an additional spur every year; certain it is that they are more numerous than in any other
bird, and that they are not alike on both legs: I could not discover the cause of this difference, neither could
I learn if they were produced at different times : I believe that five on one leg and four on the other is the
greatest number I have observed.”

The male has the forehead, lores, and the feathers surrounding the orbits black ; crown of the head buff;
crest dull grey, with a stripe of buff down the centre of each Hace 3 ae of the neck and upper surface
dark grey, with a narrow stripe of buffy white, bounded on either cudle with a stripe of black, down the
centre of each feather, the stripes becoming larger and more conspicuous as they proceed backwards, ewe
with a tinge of green on those occupying the lower part of the back and the centre of the greater wing-
coverts ; tail grey, fading into greyish white at the tip, the shafts white, and the basal three-fourths s the
feathers broadly margined with blood-red ; throat blood-red ; Co black, striated with ee white :
lower part of the throat brownish black, with a stripe of greenish butt down each feather ; sides of t Ne
buff; breast, sides of the abdomen and flanks very pale green with light shafts, and the feathers of t :
breast with a blotch of deep blood-red near the centre of either margin, giving the part he ae
being stained with blood ; centre of abdomen, thighs and vent dark brownish grey, oF wit oe
white bounded by black ; under tail-coverts deep blood-red, wath a narrow line of pale yellow ending in a

; her; orbits red; legs and feet deep red ; base of
spatulate form at the tip, down the centre of each feather ;

the bill and nostrils red ; tip of the bill black. ‘ :
The female has the ie ear-coverts and throat rust-red; remainder of the: plumage vets sora

minutely freckled with black ; tail dark brown freckled with black and buff; under surface similar, but
redder than the upper.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.