Phasianid®, lying between the Fowl-tailed Pheasants and the Guinea-fowl, presenting characters appertaining to- each of those groups
in their, structure, but belonging to neither. While both the members of these genera have- bare; 'heads and necks and speckled
bodies, like the Guinea-fowl, they differ in having partially developed spurs ; and one (JPJiasidus) has a line of hair-like feathers
passing up the back of the : neck on to the c'rojvn o f the head in. one, sex. As far as is known, there is no différence in plumage
between the males and females of either genus. The beautiful AcrylHum mlturinum« which is the only known member o f this
genus, connects the last species with the Numidin®, which are naturally formed into two groups, one possessing bony casques
or helmets and bare heads, the other having the heads covered with a full large- feathery crest; In t|ie first the ; plumage is
greyish with white spots; in the latter .greenish with more or less black on the breast; the body also, dotted with white.
Among the crested style, designated by Wagler under the term . Guttera, there are five acknowledged species, three of which,
Verreauxi, cristata, and Pucherani, are closely allied, the principal difference being the extent of black upon the breast. It is
possible they may be geographical races of one and the same species. A reference to the plates containing the heads &c. of all
the different genera accepted in this work swill- serve to show without difficulty their various characteristics
GENERA.
The number of genera assigned at different times by authors to the members of this family is very large^jpujt the majority of
them can only be properly retained as subgeneric divisions, since the characters presented by many species are not of sufficient
importance to render it necessary for them to be placed in a distinctive generic rank, but merely indicate the divisions :o f the
various genera of which the subfamilies are naturally formed. True generic rank can only be founded upon some peculiar character
of anatomical structure, and should never be bestowed simply upon the colour o f the plumage or other equally trivial .character,
as has sometimes, been done in ornithology. The practice, which has been unfortunately too common, of multiplying both genera
and species upon insufficient grounds, is, we may believe, coming gradually to be regarded with less favour by naturalists, as
it is more apt to produce confusion in the science than to simplify it, as was supposed.
In giving £ list of the genera which have a t different times been proposed, I commence with Brisson, who instituted ¡n his
‘ Ornithologie,’ 1760, the geniis Gallus.
1760.— Gallus, Brisson, Ornithologie
1766.—Paco, Linnæus Systema Natur®
Meleagris, „ ,,
Phasianus, ,, ,,
Numida, „ „
Type Gallus domesticas.
Type
Type
Type
Type
Paco cristatus.
Meleagris gallopano.
Phasianus colchicus.
Numida meleagris.
1799.-
1815.-
-Paoo, Cuvier, Leçons d ’Anatomic Comparée . . •. . . . . . Type Lophophorus Impeyanus.
-Polyplectron, Temminck, Pigeons et Gallinacés
Argus, „ „ ....................................
Argusianus, Rafinesque .
Lophophorus, Temminck, Pigeons et Gallinacés
Euplocomus, Temminck, Planches Coloriées
1816.—Monaulus, Vieillot, Analyse
Diplectron, „ „ . . . .
1817.—Polyplectrum, Cuvier, Régne Animal . .
Houppiferus, /■■iWËm' „ . . .
1822.—Lophura, Fleming, Philosophy of Zoology
Lophofera, „ -,, ' „ .-
1827.— Gallophasis, Hodgson, Oriental Quaterly
1828.-—Satyra, Lesson, Dictionnaire Scientifique Naturelle .
Type
Type
Typé
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Polyplectron thihetanum.
Argus giganteus.
Lophophorus Impeyanus.
Euplocamus ignitus.
Lophophorus Impeyanus.
Polyplectron bicalcaratum.
Polyplectron tliibetanum.
Euplocamus ignitus.
Lophophorus Impeyanus.
Phasianus leucomelanos. Lath., hybrid.
Pucrasia macrolopha.
1829.— Tragopan, Cuvier, Règne Animal Type Ceriornis satyra.
—Impeyanus, Lesson, Traité d’Ornithologie
Macartney a ^
—Syrmaticus, Wagler, Isis . . .
Thaumalea, „ „ . . .
Gennoeus, „ „
Guttera, „ „ ‘ .
Ithaginis, ,i „
1833.— Chrysolophus, Gray, Illustrations of Indian Zoology
1837.—Ceriornis, Swainson» Classification- of Birds
Nÿcthemerüs, „ ■ - „ " .
Eulophus, Lesson, Complément de Buffon .
1838.-
1840.-
1841.-
—Crossoptilon, Hodgson, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal
—AcryUium, Gv R. Gray, List o f Genera of Birds
—Pucrpsia „ „ „ ,, '
Aleclrophasis ,, „ ,, „ . .
—Diplectropus, Gloger, Hand- u. Hilfsb. der Natur, p. 382
Creagrius, ,, ,, ,, ,,
„ „ p. 384
Gray’s Zoological Miscellany
, Ersch u. Gruber, Encyklop.
Spicifer, •„
1843.—Gallophasis, Hodgs
1844.—-Epomia, „
Galleephasis, „
1846.— Lophaleclor, Cabar
Alectryon „
Creatornis ,, ... .,, ■^ ¿ fy -v S - r'l'i
Lophotetrax „ „ ,. „ . . .
1849.— Agelastes, Bonaparte, Proceedings of the Zoological Society
1851.—Phasidus, Cassin, Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy of Seien
Catreus, Cabanis, Ersch u. Gruber, Encyklop
—Emphania, Reichcnbach, Systema Avium
Lophophasianus, O' ' » >>;. •
Graphophasianus „ „ ,,
Grammatoptilus ,, „ „
Acomus „ „ „
■ Querelea „ „ „
—Spicifer, Bonaparte, Annales des Sciences Naturelles
Chalcurus, • 1 /
—Spiciferus, Bonaparte, Compte Rendu
Diardigallus, „ „ „ . . .
—Tetraophasis, Elliot, Monograph of the Phasianid®
Mercphasis, „ ' ^
Chalcophasis „ ',,.
—Calophasis „ „ „ .
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Lophophorus Impeyanus.
E/uplocamus ignitus.
P/utsianus Reeoesi.
Thaumalea .picta.
Euplocamus nycthemerus.
Numida cristata.
Ithaginis cruentus.
Type Thaumalea picta.
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Ceriornis melanocephala.
Thaumalea picta.
Pucrasia macrolopha.
Crossoptilon thibetanum.
Numida wlturina.
Pucrasia macrolopha.
Euplocamus erythrophthalmus.
Polyplectron thibetanum.
Gallus varius.
Paco mulicus.
Type Pucrasia nepalensis, hybrid.
Type
■type
Type
Type
Type
Type
Thaumalea picta.
Pucrasia macrolopha.
Euplocamus ignitus.
Euplocamus erythrophthalmus.
Ceriornis satyra.
Pucrasia macrolopha.
Type Agelastes meleagrides.
Type Phasidus niger.
Type Phasianus Wallichi.
Type Polyplectron emphanum.
Type Phasianus Wallichi.
Type Phasianus Scemmerringi.
Type E/uplocamus lineatus.
Type Euplocamus erythrophthalmus.
Type Numida mitrata.
Type P aw muticus.
Type Polyplectron chalcurum.
Type Paw muticus.
Type Euplocamus prcelatus.
Type Lophophorus obscurus.
Type Euplocamus Swinhoi.
Type Lophophorus Sclateri.
Type Calophasis Ellioti.