ITHAGINIS CRUENTUS.
Sanguine Francolin.
Phasianus cruentus, Hardw. Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 237.
Sanguine Pheasant, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 205.
Per dix cruentata, Temm. PI. Col. 332.
Ithaginis cruentus, Wagl. in Isis, 1832, p. 1228.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. o f Birds, vol. iii. p. 504, Ithaginis, sp. 1.
—Cat. o f Spec, and Draw, o f Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, Esq.,
p. 126.—Blyth, Cat. of B irds in Mus. o f Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, 241.—L ist o f Birds in B rit. Mus. Coll.,
P a rt I I I . p. 31.
Francolinus cruentatus, Cuv. Règn. Anim., tom. i. p. 484.—Less. Traité d’Om., p. 505.—Jard . Nat. Lib. Gallina-
ceæ, voi>. ii. pi. 7.
Perdix cruentatus, Jard . N a t. Lib. Gallinaceæ, vol. ii. p. 90.
Phasianus Gardnerii, Hardw. Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p . 166, female.
Lophophorus Gardneri, Less. Man. d’Om., tom. ii. p. 180.
Ithaginis Gardneri, Wagl. in Isis, 1832, p. 1228.
T he Ithaginis cruentus is a gallinaceous bird peculiar to the great Himalayan range, and may be regarded as
one o f the finest species o f 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 o f 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 o f 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 o f my friend Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, aided by the influence o f the English Resident
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 a t that place it may be deemed one of
the rarities of the country.?7
The native habitat of the species has been more recently visited by Dr. Hooker, who has kindly furnished
me with the following notes respecting i t :—
“ This, the boldest of the Alpine birds o f its kind, frequents the mountain ranges o f Eastern Nepaul and
Sikkim at an elevation varying from 10,000 to 14,000 feet, and is very abundant in many o f the valleys among
the forests of Pine (Abies Webbiana) and Juniper. I t seldom o r ever crows, but emits a weak cackling noise.
When put up it takes a very short flight and then runs to shelter. During 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 winter, its flesh has
always a very strong flavour, and is moreover uncommonly tough; it was, however, the only bird I obtained
a t those great elevations in tolerable abundance for food, and that not very frequently. The Bhoteas say
th at it acquires an additional spur every y e a r; certain it is that they are more numerous than in any other
bird, and that they are not alike on both leg s : 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 o f buff down the centre of each fea th e r; back o f the neck and upper surface
dark grey, with a narrow stripe of buffy white, bounded on either side with a stripe of black, down the
centre of each feather, the stripes becoming larger and more conspicuous as they proceed backwards, and
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 of the
feathers broadly margined with blood-red; throat blood-red; ear-coverts black, striated with buffy white ;
lower part of the throat brownish black, with a stripe of greenish buff down each feather; sides of the neck
buff; breast, sides of the abdomen and flanks very pale green with light shafts, and the feathers of the
breast with a blotch of deep blood-red near the centre of either margin, giving the p art the appearance of
being stained with blood; centre of abdomen, thighs and vent dark brownish grey, striped with greenish
white bounded by black; under tail-coverts deep blood-red, with a narrow line of pale yellow ending in a
spatulate form a t the tip, down the centre of each feath er; orbits r e d ; legs and feet deep red ; base of
the bill and nostrils red ; tip o f the bill black.
The female has the face, ear-coverts and throat ru st-red ; remainder of the plumage reddish brown,
minutely freckled with b lack ; 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.