FOR THE PEOPLE

FOR EDVCATION

FOR SCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

ALLEiN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

y

ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

Kduki) by R. BOWDLER SIIARPE, LL.D., F.L.S., Ivic.

A HAND-BOOK

TO THE ' ^

GAME-BIRDS

r.Y
W. R. OGILVIE-GRANT,

ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM. ^

VOL. II.

PHEASANTS {Confimted), MEGAPODES, CURASSOWS,
HOATZINS, BUSTARD-QUAILS,

4 ■;;

LONDON :

W. H. ALLEN & CO, LIMITED,

13, WATERLOO PLACE, S,W,
1897.

'o/f, -e f a c f c4f^ (^^

WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED

PRINTERS,

LONDON AND &EDHILL,

PREFACE.

I THINK that there can be no question as to the value of Mr.
Ogilvie-Grant's volumes on the Game-Birds, and I can testify
to the care which he has bestowed on the work. His volumes
contain the names of every species of Game-Birds known up
to the present date, so that they may be considered in the
light of a small Monograph of the Gallince.

R. BOWDLER SHARPE.
Oct. 6th, 1896.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

The second volume of this work contains an account of all the
remaining species of the Order Gallinae or True Game-Birds,
as well as that curious and aberrant form the Hoatzin, and the
Bustard-Quails.

The subject has been treated in exactly the same way as in
the previous volume, and the short descriptions of the adult
male and female have in almost every instance been carefully
compared and revised with the specimens in the British
Museum, where the collection of Game-Birds is unusually fine
and perfect. Only nine of the species mentioned in the first
volume are not represented in the above collection, six of the
desiderata being Francolins, while of the 221 species treated of
in the present volume, though a like number are wanting, two
or three of these appear to be doubtfully distinct species.

Two birds are described for the first time in this volume :
Whitehead's Bustard-Quail {Turnix whiteheadi), an extremely
interesting and distinct new form met with in the neighbour-
hood of Manila, and Cholmley's See-See Partridge, from the
Soudan and African shores of the Red Sea, a description of
them both being given in the Appendix.

W. R. OGILVIE-GRANT.

SYSTEMATIC INDEX.

ORDER GALLINiE

FAMILY PHASIANID^.
SUB-FAMILY PHASIANIN.E.

I. Catreus, Cab

I. wallichi (Hardwicke). ...

II. TiiASiANUS, Linn

1. colchicus, Linn.

a. talischensis, Lorenz.

2. persicus, Severtz.

3. principalis, Sclater.

4. zerafshanicus, Tarnovski.

5. shawi, Elliot.

6. tarimensis, Prjevalsky. ...

7. chrysomelas, Severtzov,

8. mongolicus, Brandt.

a. seniitorquatus, Severtz.

9. torquatus, Gmel.

10. satscheunensis, Prjevalsky.

11. formosanus, Elliot.

12. decollatus, Swinhoe.

13. strauchi, Prjevalsky.

14. vlangalii, Prjevalsky. ...

15. elegans, Elliot

16. versicolor, Vieill.

17. scemmerringi, Temm. ...
a. scintillans, Gould. ...

18. reevesii, J. E. Gray.

I
I

6
9
14

15
16

17
18
20
20

22

23
24
27
27
28
29
30
31
32
34
36
37

V.il

SYSTEMATIC INDEX.

III. CALOniASIS, Elliot

1. ellioti, Swinhoe.

2. humicT?, Hume

W. CiiRYSOLOPHUS, J. E Gray.

1. pictus (Linn.)

a. obscurus (Schl.).

2. amherstiLTe (Leadb.).

V. Gallus, Linn.

1. gallus (Linn.)

2. lafayetti, Less

3. sonnerati, Temm.

4. varius (Shaw & Nodd.).
VL PoLYPLECTROX, Temm.

1. chinquis(P. L. S. Mull.).

2. germaini, Elliot.

: 3. bicalcaratum (Linn.). ...

4. schleiermacheri, Brligg.

5. napoleonis, Less.
VIL CiiALCURUS, Bonap.

I. chalcurus (Less. ),
VIIL Argusianus, Rafin.

1. argus (Linn.). ...

2. grayi (Elliot.)

3. bipunctatus (Wood).

IX. Rheinardtius, Oustal.

I. ocellatus (Verr.).

X. Pavo, Linn

1. cristatus, Linn. ...

2. muticus, Linn. ...

XL Phasidus, Cassin

I. niger, Cassin.
XIL Ac.ELASTES, Bona}). ...

I. meleagrides, Bonap.
XIII. NuMiDA, Linn

1. meleagris, Linn.

2. zechi, Reichenow.

3. coronata, Gray. ...

4. reichenowi, Ogilvie-Grant.

5. marungensisj Schalow. ...

SVSTEMATIC INDEX. ix

N U M I DA— {conlinue(Pj .

6. cornuta, Finsch & Ilaill. ()2

7. mitrata, Pall 94

8. ptilorhyncha, Liclit. ... ... ... 95

XIV. Gutter A, Waglcr. 97

1. cristata (Pallas). ... 97

2. edouardi (Haiti.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 98

3. pucherani (Harll.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 100

4. plumifera (Cassin). ... ... ... ... ... ... 100

XV. AcKYLLiUM, Gray loi

I. vullurinum (Ilartlvv.). ... 102

XVI. Meleagkis, Linn 103

1. gallopavo, Linn. 103

a. ellioti, Sennett. ... ... ... ... ... ... iqc

2. americana, Bartram. ... ... ... ... ... ... 106

a. osceola, Scott. ... 108

3. ocellata, Cuv. ... ... ... no

SUB-FAMILY ODONTOPIIOKIN^E 112

I. Dendrortyx, Gould

1. macrourus (Jard. & Selb.)

2. barbatus, Licbt.

3. leucophrys (Gould). ... ... ... ... ... ... ij.

II. Callipepla, Wagler. 114

I. squamata (Vigors).

a, castaneiventer, Grant.

III. Oreortyx, Baird ij8

I. piclus (Douglas). ... ... 118

IV. LuPHORTYX, Bonap.

1. californicus (Shaw & Nockler).

2, gambcli, Nutt

112
112
113

"5
117

120
121

••• 124

3. douglasi (Vigors) ...126

■■• 294

127

127

128

4. leucoprosopon, Reichcn.

V. Philortyx, Gould

I. fasciatus (Gould).

VI. EUPSYCHORTYX, Gould

1. cristatus (Linn.). _ j28

2. leucopogon (Lesson) _ j-,q

3. sonninii (Temni.). ,. ^^ j ,q

SYSTEiMAXlC INDEX.

EUPSYCHORTYX— (.f^;///;///^:.'.^.

4. mocquerysi, Ilartert ■ •• 131

5. parvicristatus (Gould) 131

6. leylandi (Moore). 132

7. nigrogularis (Gould). ... •••133

8. hypoleucusj Gould ... 134

\II. Ortyx, Stephens 135

1. virginianus (Linn.) 135

a. floridanus, Coues 138

d. texanus, Lawrence. ... 139

2. cubanensis, Gould ... 140

3. pectoralis, Gould 142

4. graysoni, Lawrence. ... 142

5. ridgwayi (Brewster) 143

6. coyolcos (P. L. S. Mullcr) 144

7. atriceps, Ogilvie-Grant. 144

8. castaneus, Gould. I45

Vin. Cyrtonyx, Gould. i45

1. montezumDe (Vigors). ... 146

2. salljei, Verr 148

3. ocellatus (Gould) I49

IX. Dactylortyx, Ogilvie-Grant 149

I. thoracicus (Gambel). ... ... 150

X. Odontophorus, Vieillot 151

1. guianensis, Guiel. 152

a. marmoratus (Gould). ... 153

2. capueira (Spix.). IS4

3. melanotis, Salvin. .. 155

4. erythrops, Gould. 156

5. hyperythrus, Gould 156

6. speciosus, Tschudi 157

7. melanonotus, Gould 157

8. leucolaemus, Salvin 158

9. stellatus, Gould. 158

10. guttatus (Gould). 159

11. veraguensis, Gould 160

12. balliviani, Gould. ... 160

13. strophium, Gould. 161

14. columbianus, Gould 161

XL Rhynchortyx, Ogilvie-Grant 162

SYSTEMATIC INDEX.

XI

l\nYNCHORT\X—iron/t/we/).

1. spodiostethus (Salvin) ^52

2. cinctus (Salvin). ... . _ j52

FAMILY MEGAPODIID^.

3. cumingi, Dillwyn.

4. sanghirensis, Schlegel. ...

5. bernsteini, Schlegel.

6. forsteni, Temm.

7. brunneiventris, Meyer.

3. jobiensis, Meyer.

4. longicaudus, Meyer.

163

I. Megapodius, Quoy & Gaimard j5^

1. nicobariensis, Blyth jgr

2. tenimberensis, Sclater j5g

169
170

171
171
172

eremita, Hartl j^^

' " • • • ...1/^

9. macgillivrayi, Gray jy.

10. duperreyi, Less. & Garn. i^r

11. freycineti, Quoy & Gaiui j^n

12. gelvinkianus, Meyer jyo

13. layardi, Tristram. iSo

14. senex, Hartlaub. ^^ jg2

15. laperousii, Temm, jg^

16. pritchardi, Gray. jg^

n. EuLiPOA, Ogilvie-Grant ig.

I. wallacii (Gray) jg-

IIL LiPOA, Gould. .0^

' ••• ••• ••• ... ••. loO

I. ocellata, Gould. jgg

IV. Talegallus, Lesson, ,00

' • • • ••• •.• ... 155

1. cuvieri, Lesson ,0-,

' ••• ••• ••• ... 159

2. fuscirostris, Salvad Tnr.

190
191
191

V. Catheturus, Swains.

I. lathami (Latham)

VI. Aepypodius, Oustalet jo-

1. bruijni (Oustalet) ' ,^-

192
192

195

2. arfakianus (Salvad.) jpg

VII. Megacephalon, Temm jp-

I. maleo, Hartl "

\11

SYSTEMATIC INDEX.

FAMILY CRACID^

I. Crax, Linn

1. alector, Linn

2. fasciolata, Spix.

3. pinima, Pelz.

4. globicera, Linn....

5. panamensis, Ogilvie-Grarit.

6. hecki, Reichenow.

7. grayi, Ogilvie-Grant. ...

8. carunculata, Temm.

9. globulosa, Spix.

10. daubentoni, Gray.

11. alberti, Fraser. ...

NOTHOCRAX, Burmeister. ...
I. urumutum (Spix).

II. :Mitua, Strickl.

1. mitu (Linn.).

2. tomentosa (Spix).
4. salvini, Reinhardt.

III. Pauxis, Scl

I. pauxi (Linn.)

lY. Oreophasis, G. R. Gray. ...
I. derbianus, Gray.

V. Pi:n ELOPE, Merrem

1. superciliaris, Temm.

2. montagnii (Bonap.).

3. sclateri, G. R. Gray. ...

4. jacupeba, Spix. ...

5. marail, Gmel

6. ortoni; Salvin

7. purpurascens, Y'aglcr. ...

8. obscura, Temm.

9. cristata (Linn.)

10. boliviana, Bonap.

11. pilcata, ^Yagler

12. ochrogaster, Pelz.

13. jacucaca, vSpix

14. argyrotis (Bonap.).

15. albipennis, Taczanowski.

SVSIEMATIC INDEX. Xlll

V'l. Penelopina, Reichenl) 232

I. nigra (Fraser). ... ... ... ••. •■• ■•• ••• ^j3

VII. Ortalis, Meireni 234

1. motmot (Linn,). ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 235

2. aiaucuan (Spix). 236

3. ruficeps (Wagler). ... ••• 236

4. wagleri, G. R. Gray. ... ... ... .•• 237

5. ruficauda, Jardine 237

6. canicollis (Wagler) ... ... •■• ••• 238

7. albiventer (Wagler) 239

8. squamata, Lesson ... ••• 240

9. caracco, Wagler. 241

10. guttata (Spix) 241

11. superciliaris, G. R. Gray, ... ... ... ••• ••• 244

12. poliocephala (Wagler) 244

13. vetula (Wagler) 245

14. leucogastra (Gould). ... ... 247

15. garrula (liumb,). 24S

16. cinereiceps, Gray. ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 249

17. erythroptera, Scl. & Salv 249

VIII. PiPiLE, Bonap 250

1. currtanensis (Jacquin). ... ... ••• 250

2. jacutinga (Spix). 251

3. cujubi (Pelz.) ••• 253

IX. Aburria, Reichenb. 253

I. aburri (Lesson). 254

X. Cham.epetes, Wagler. 255

1. goudoti (Lesson). ... ... ... 256

2. unicolor, Salvin. ... ... ... ••• 257

ORDER OPISTHOCOMI 257

FAMILY OPISTHOCOMID/E ... 258

L Opisthocomus. ,,... ^ 258

I. hoazin (P. L. S. MiilL). ... '.,. \\... 259

ORDER HEMIPODII -262

FAMILY TURNICID^ 262

I. TuRNix, Bonnat. ... 263

I. taigoor (Sykes), 265

268

a. pugnax (Temni.).

SYSTEMATIC INDEX.

Turn IX — [continued).

2. fasciata (Temni.). 268

3. lufilatus, Wallace. ... ... ... ... ... ... 269

4. powelli, Guillemard 270

5. sylvatica (Desf.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 270

a. lepurana (Smith). ... 272

6. dussumieri (Temm.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 273

7. nana (Sundev.).... ... ... ... ... ... ... 275

8. hottentotta (Temm.). ... ... ... ... ... .. 275

9. whitehead!, Ogilvie-Giant 276

10. blanfordi, Blyth. ... 277

11. tanki (Blyth) 278

12. albiventris, Hume 280

13. maculosa (Temm.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 1

14. saturata, W. A. Forbes. 2S2

15. rufescens, Wallace. ... ... ... ... ... ... 282

16. ocellata (.Scop.). 2S3

17. nigricollis (Gmel.). ... 284

iS. melanogasler (Gould) ... 2S4

19. varia (fvaih.) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 285

20. castanonota (Gould). ... ... 287

21. pynhothorax ((iould) 288

22. velox (Gould) ... 2S9

II. Pedionomus, Gould. 290

I. torquatus, Gould. 290

APPENDIX TO VOL. I.

Ammoperdix (p. loi) 293

cholmleyi, Ogilvie-Grrut 293

Caccabis (p. 97) 293

spatzi, Reichen. 293

Francolinus (p. 119) 294

crawshayi, Ogilvie-Grant 294

LIST OF PLATES.

TO FACE PAGB

XXII. — Ring-necked Pheasant 25

XXIII. — Reeves's Pheasant .. 37

XXIV.— Golden Pheasant 45

XXV. — C; ley Jungle- Fowl. ... ... 55

XXVI. — ^Javan Jungle-Fowl. ... ... 59

XXVII. — Grey Peacock Pheasant, ... ... Gi

XXVIII. — Napoleon's Peacock- T^heasant, ... ... ... ... 65

XXIX. — Argus Pheasant. ... ... ... ... ... ... 71

XXX. — Black-collare<l Crested Guinea-F')wl. ... ... ... 97

XXXI. — Honduras Turkey. ... ... ... ... m

XXXII. — Grayson's Colin. ... ... ... ... ... ... i^-j

XXXIII.— Pl.ack-headed Colin 145

XXXIV. — Long-legged Colin. 163

XXXV. — Layard's Megapode. ... 181

XXXVI.— Maleo 197

XXXVII. — Gray's Curassow 207

XXXVIII.— Chestnut-breasted Penelope 227

XXXIX. — Wagler's Guan. .. ... ... ... ... ... 237

ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

GAME-BIRDS,

FAMILY PHASTANID.^ (Vol. I. p. 78;.
SUB FAMILY PHASIANIN^E (Vol. I. p. 199).

THE CHEER PHEASANTS. G1":NUS CATREUS.

Cat mis, Cabanis^ in Ersch. und Grueb. Encycl. sec. i, liii. p.
221 (1851).

Type, C. walUchi (Hardwicke).

Tail long, wedge-shaped, and composed of eighteen ieaihers,
the middle pair being very long, and about five times as long
as the outer pair.

First primary flight-feather shoiter than the tenth; fifth
slightly the longest.

A large naked patch of crimson red skin surrounding the eye.

A long full occipital crest in the male, less marked in the
female. The former is also provided with a pair of strong spurs,
which are sometimes represented in the latter by a pair of
blunt knobs.

I. THE CHEER PHEASANT. CATREUS WALLICHI.

Phasianus ivallichii^ Hardwicke, Tr. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 166
(1827); Mitchell, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 544, pi. 147, fig. 1, and
pi. 149, fig. 4; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. x. (1872) ;
Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 169, pi.
(1878) ; Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. iii. p.
4r2(i89o).

i ALLEN'S naturalist's LILRAtlY.

Phasiaiius staceii^ Vig. Phil. Mag. 1831, p. 232; id. P.Z.S. 1831,

p. 35-
Catreus ivallichii, Gould. Cent. B. Himal. pi. 68 (1832) ; id.
Birds of Asia, vii. pi. 18 (1865); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 317 (1893).

Adult Male. — Top of the head dark brown, all the feathers, es-
pecially those of the crest, tipped with dirty white ; throat, neck,
and chest dirty white ; upper back, breast, and sides of the belly
creamy-white, the feathers of the former widely fringed with
whitish-grey ; wings ochraceous-buff, all these parts being
barred and marked with black; lower back and rump rust-colour^
with black bars glossed with green ; middle of belly black ;
quills brownish-black, edged and mottled with buff; tail-feathers
whitish-buff, the middle pair with wide irregular black bars
changing to dark chestnut on the inner webs of the outer
pairs. Total length, 34 inches; wing, 10; tail, 20*5; tarsus,
2-9.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male chiefly in having the
feathers of the head and crest edged with buff ; the upper back
pale chestnut, widely barred with black ; and the lower back
and rump dirty brown^ mixed with black and buff; the neck
and chest black, edged with buff, the breast and belly rufous-
chestnut, edged with buff and more or less mottled with black,
the quills regularly barred \s\\\i buff on the outer and/rz/^ chest-
nut on the i?iner webs, and the tail-feathers brown or reddish-
brown with wide mottled bars of black and buff, except on
the outermost pairs, which are mostly buff. Total length, 30
inches; wing, 8-9; tail, 15*5; tarsus, 2-6.

Range. — The Himalayas, extending eastwards as far as Kat-
mandu, in Nepal, and westwards to Chamba, but not apparently
to Kashmir.

Habits.— Mr. A. O. Hume writes : — " The Cheer is extremely
locally distributed, and seems to me very capricious in its choice
of habitations ; on one side of a river you meet with plenty in

THE CHEER PHEASANTS. 3

suitable spots, on the other side you may search fifty square
miles of most likely-looking country and never see one.

" From six to seven thousand feet is the elevation at which,
in October, they arc most common, but in winter and spring
they go lower, and some even breed lower, and in summer they
niay be met with up to at least ten thousand feet (I myself
killed a pair of old ones late in June at fully this elevation),
and probably higher. Of course they are birds of the outer or
woodiid hills,and when once you cross a high snowy ridge, which
effectually arrests the clouds of the monsoon, into dry, more or
less treeless regions, like Lahoul, Spiti, and Ladakh, you lose
the Cheer and all the Pheasants but the Snow-Cocks. The
former are all more or less birds of the forest, and all belong
to the zone of abundant rainfall.

"The best places in which to find Cheer are the Dangs, or
precipitous places, so common in many parts of the interior •
not vast bare cliffs, but a whole congeries of little cliffs one
above the other, each perhaps from fifteen to thirty feet high
broken up by ledges, on which a man could barely walk, but
thickly set with grass and bushes, and out of which grow up
stunted trees, and from which hang down curious skeins of
grey roots and mighty garlands of creepers.

" If the hill above be thinly wooded, and on some plateau
below there are a good number of Millet and Prince's Feather
fields, you are, in a Cheer district, next to certain in the autumn
to find a covey on the upper ledges of such a spot, about ten
o'clock in the morning. . . ."

In describing their flight, he says :— " The force with which
Cheer descend is almost incredible. Other Pheasants, in de-
scending, keep the wings a little open ; these birds pass one at
such a fearful pace that it is impossible to be certain, but it
always appeared to me that Cheer quite closed their wings, and
I attribute their power to do this to their enormous tails sutificing
to guide them. When within a hundred feet (I speak by guess),
of the level at which they intend to flight, suddenly out go the

E 2

4 AT-T-KN S NATURALIST S LIBRARY.

wings, the tail is spread to its fullest expanse, the bird looks'
double the size it did a second b'jfore, and sweeps off in grace-
ful curves right or left, shortly dropping suddenly, almost as if
shot, into some patch of low cover. If no shots have been
fired, you may walk straight down, and ten to one find him
exactly where you marked him. . . ."

Mr. Wilson, in his excellent account of this species, tells us :
— "They wander a good deal about the particular hill they are
located on, but not beyond certain boundaries, remaining
about one spot for several days or weeks, and then shifting to
another, but never entirely abandoning the i)lace, and year
after year they may, to a certainty, be found in some quarter
of it.

" During the day, unless dark and cloudy, they keep con-
cealed in the grass and bushes, coming out, morning and even-
ing, to feed.

" After concealing themselves, they lie very close, and are
flushed within a few yards. There is, perhaps, no bird of its
size which is so difficult to find after the flock have b^en dis-
turbed and they have concealed themselves ; where the grass
is very long, even if marked down, without a good dog, it is
often impossible to flush them, and even with the assistance of
the best dogs not one-half will be found a second time. A
person may walk within a yard of one and it will not move.
I have knocked them over with a stick, and even taken them
with the hand. In autumn the long grass, so prevalent about
many of the places they resort to, enables them to hide almost
anywhere, but this is burnt by the villagers at the end of win-
ter, and they then seek refuge in low jungle and brushwood,
and with a dog are not so difficult to find.

" Both males and females often crow at daybreak and dusk,
and in cloudy weather sometimes during the day. The crow^
is loud and singular, and, wlien there is nothing to interrupt,
the sound may be heard for at least a mile. It is something
like the words chir-a-pir, diir-a-pir^ chir, chir, chirwa, chirzva,

THE CIIEKR niEASANTS. 5

but a good deal varied ; it is often begun before complete day-
light, and in spring, when the birds are numerous, it invariably
ushers in the day ; in this respect it may rival the domestic
cock. When pairing and scattered about, the crow is often
kept up for nearly half an-hour, first from one quarter, then
another, and now and then all seem to join in a chorus. At
other times it seldom lasts more than five or ten minutes.

"The Cheer Pheasant feeds chiefly on roots, for which it
digs holes in the ground, grubs, insects, seeds, and berries,
and, if near cultivated fields, several kinds of grain form a
portion of its diet; it does not eat grass or leaves like the rest
of our Pheasants.

"It is easy to rear in confinement, and might, without diffi-
culty, be naturalised in England, if it would stand the long
frosts and snows of severe winters, which I imagine is rather
doubtful.

"This bird flies rather heavily, and seldom very far. Like
most others, it generally utters a few loud screeches on getting
up, and spreads out the beautifully barred feathers of its long
tail, both when flying and running. It does not perch much
on trees, but will occasionally fly up into one close by, when
put up by dogs. It roosts on the ground generally, and when
congregated together, the whole flock huddle up in one spot.
At times, however, they will roost in trees and bushes."

Hybrids. — The Cheer has been known to cross with the
Common Pheasant {Phasianus colchicus) in confinement, and
there is an example of a male hybrid in the National Collection..

Nest. — Placed in the grass among low bushes near or about
the base of some precipitous hill-side at elevations of from
4,000 to 7,000 or 8,000 feet.

Eggs. — Nine to fourteen in number; pale stone-colour or
very pale whitish buff, almost devoid of markings, but many
specimens have small spots and specks of brownish-red at one
or other end, while more rarely the markings are scattered all

6 Allen's naturalist's library.

over the surface of the shell. Egg small for the size of the bird,
and shaped like an ordinary hen's egg. Average measurements,
2 "I by 1*5 inches.

THE TRUE PHEASANTS, GENUS PHASIANUS.
Fhastamis, Linn. S.N. i. p. 270 (1766).
Type, P. coicliicus, Linn.
Tail composed of eighteen feathers, long and wedge-shaped,
the middle pair being very much longer than the outer pair.

First primary flight-feather about equal to the eighth, and
cojisiderably lo?iger than the tenth*

The male has the sides of the head covered with naked
scarlet skin ; there is no crest, but the ear-tufts are considerably
lengthened, and the feet are armed with a pair of spurs.

The various species and sub-species of this lovely group are
all natives of Asia, extending to Japan and Formosa, and, to
facilitate their identification, may be conveniently divided into
the following groups : —

L Crown of the head green or greenish-bronze.

A, General colour of the lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts maroon or red-bronze, glossed with
purple or green.

a. With 710 white ring round the neck, or
with only traces of one (species i to 7,
pp. 9-22).

* See vol. i. p. 78, and footnote to p. 1 99. To these remarks it may
be added, and this is noteworthy, that the Partridge type of wing is most
perfectly developed in such birds as the Quails [Coficniix), capable of
long and protracted flights, while in the Argus Pheasants {Argusiamis),
which hardly ever fly, we find the most perfect type of Pheasant-wing.
In other words, the Phasianidce, with the outer primary quills longest,
are all birds in which great powers of flight are necessary, ^yhile those
with the inner primary quills longest, seldom use their wings, if they can
avoid doing so. We may thus infer that the powers of flight, among
these game-birds at least, are almost entirely dependent on the shape
of the wing, and probably the same rule will be found to apply to other
groui^s of birdSf

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. ^

b. With a broad white ring round the necly

(species 8, pp. 22 24),

B, General colour of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts greenish' or bluish-slate colour, with a rust-
coloured patch on each side (except in P. versi-
colo?').

c. With a white ring round the neck (species

9 to II, pp. 24-28).

d. With no white ring round the neck, or with

only traces of one (species 12 to 16,
pp. 28-33).

II. Crown of the head reddish-brown (species ly^pp. 34-37).

III. Crown of the head white (species 18, pp. 37-41),

BothSoemmerring's and Reeves's Pheasants represent peculiar
and somewhat aberrant types, the latter being placed by some
authors in the distinct genus Syrmaticus, on account of its
immensely long tail. Exclusive of these two birds and the
rather distinct green-bellied form {P. versicolor) from Japan,
the remaining representatives of the genus Phasianus are all
birds of the same type as the Common Pheasant (Z'. colchicus).
It is interesting to note that, roughly speaking, all the species
with white rings round their necks are northern forms, while
those without this ornament, or with only traces of it, are only
met with farther south. On the other hand, all the maroon-
rumped species are found west of about 90° E. long,, while
those with grey rumps are only found to the east of this
line. P. colchicus and its allies, which have no white rino-
but have a maroon-coloured rump, inhabit the area south
of about 41° N. lat., and west of about 80° E. long., while
P. iiiongolicus and P. seniitorquatus^ both of which have well-
marked white collars, as well as maroon rumps, are met
with north of about 41°, and west of about 90° E. long.
Again, among the grey-rumped species, P, elegans and the

8 Allen's naturalists library.

allied forms without white collars, or with only traces of
this ornament, occur south of about 35° N. lat. and east
of about 90° E. long., while of the ringed form of this
section, P. toi'quatits, though it is found in China as far south
as Canton (and a slightly different form occurs in Formosa),
ranges far north to the Lower Amoor, and a paler represen-
tative is met with to the north of the Nan-shan Mountains,
which lie north of 35° N. lat. So, on the whole, we may
regard the ringed form as the northern, and those with-
out a ring, as the southern type ; and it seems reasonable
t ) suppose that all the species have probably sprung from an
ancestral ringed form of northern origin, and that the occur-
rence of a partial white ring in certain individuals of the
southern species, xvhich are normally devoid of this ornament,
is due to the fact that they still occasionally revert to the
original stock. It is quite wrong to regard such partially ringed
individuals as hybrids, for in most cases the country which
each species inhabits, is effectually shut off by enormous ranges
of mountains, which completely bar all intercourse between
the ringed species and their southern allies. For example, it
is not uncommon to find examples of Shaw's Pheasant {P.
sliawi) from the valleys of Yarkand with an imperfect white ring
round the neck ; and it is practically impossible for this species
to meet with any of the ring-necked forms, P. semitorquaiits^
from Dzungaria, being apparently shut off by high mountains
and impassable deserts. It must, however, be added that
there can be no doubt that P. moJtgoUais, which ranges along
the valley of the Syr-Darya, does occasionally interbreed with
P. chrysouielas from the valley of the Amu-Darya, for we have
seen a wild hybrid shot at Nukus w^hich is beyond doubt
a cross between the two forms. In this instance, however,
there is nothing to prevent the ranges of the two species from
coalescing, and no doubt the ring-necked P. mongolicus occa-
sionally finds its way south along the Eastern shore of the
Aral. Any two species of this genus will interbreed freely

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 0

with one another in captivity, or when they have baen arti-
ficially brought into the same neighbourhood, and in the
majority of cases at least the hybrids produced are perfectly
fertile. In this country it is now almost impossible to fmd
quite pure-bred examples of what is commonly called " the
old English Pheasant " {P. colchicus), for the Chinese ringed
species {P. torquaftis), which was subsequently introduced, has
crossed with it everywhere, and almost all the birds now met
with are hybrids, displaying the characters of both species in a
greater or lesser degree.

y. Crown of the head green or greenish-h-07ize ; gejieral colour
of the lower bach, 7'ump, a?id upper tail-coverts maroon
or reddish-bronze, glossed with purple or gre.?i ; with 710
white rifig rou7id the 7ieck, or with only traces of 07ie.

I. THE COMMON PHEASANT. PHASIANUS COLCHICUS.

Phasianus colchicus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 271 (1766); Gould, B.

Europe, pi. 247 (1837); id. B. Asia, vii. pi. 34 {1869);

Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 2 (1872); Dresser, B.

Europe, vii. p. ^$, pi. 469 (1879) 5 Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B.

Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 320 (1893).*
Phasianus colchicus septentrional is, Lorenz, J. f. O. 1888, p.

572.
Adult Male.t — Crown of the head bronze-green ; rest of the
head and neck dark green, shading into purple on the sides
and front of the neck. Feathers of the mantle, chest, breast,
and flanks fiery orange, the former narrowly margined with
purplish-green, the latter widely edged with rich purple ; those
of the upper back and scapulars mottled in the middle with
black and buff, margined by consecutive bands of buff, black
and orange-red, and tipped with purplish-lake. Lower back,
rump, and upper tail-coverts 7'ed-inaroon, glossed zvith purplish-

* Cf. also " Fur and Feather " Series, Svo, 1895.

t It has been found necessary to give this rather full description of pure^
bred male and female birds for purposes of comparison.

10 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

lake or oily green, according to the way the skin is held.
Most of the wing-coverts sandy-brown ; middle of breast and
sides of belly dark purplish-green ; middle of belly and rest of
under-parts dark brown mixed with rufous. Tail-feathers olive
down the middle, with fiarrotv, wide-set, black bars, and widely
edged on each side with rufous, glossed with purplish-lake.
Total length, 37-5 inches; wing, lo-i ; tail, 21*2; tarsus, 2-8.

Adult Female. — General colour sandy-brown, barred wath
black ; back and sides of the neck tinged with pinkish and
with metallic purple or green margins; feathers of the mantle
and sides of the breast and flanks chestnut, with black centres
and pinkish-grey margins ; an elongate patch of white black-
tipped feathers below the eyes ; quills more coarsely barred and
mottled with buff than in the male ; tail-feathers reddish-brown
down the middle, shading into sandy-olive on the sides and
with wide irregular triple bars of black, buff, and black. Total
length, 24-5 inches; wing, 8-6; tail, 11-5 ; tarsus, 2-4.

Range. — The Common Pheasant has been introduced inmost
parts of Europe, with the exception of Spain and Portugal, and
the higher latitudes of Scandinavia and Russia. For this reason
it is difficult, if not impossible, to state accurately the Hmits
of its true home. It appears, however, to be found in a wild
state in Southern Turkey, Greece, and Asia Minor as far east
as Transcaucasia, and it extends northwards to the Volga. On
the Island of Corsica it is also met with in a wild state, and
may have been imported at some remote period ; but if it is
really indigenous there, its range must formerly have extended
much farther west than the countries mentioned above.

There is no record, as far as we know, of its importation to
the British Islands, but it is mentioned in the bills-of-fare of
the Saxon kings.

Hal3its. — The favourite home of the Pheasant is thick covert,
woods with plenty of undergrowth, in the immediate neighbour-
hood of cultivated land, where in the morning and evening t! -
birds can come out to feed. Oak, hazel, and fir plantations

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. II

scattered over large parks are much resorted to, for tlie birds
seldom stray far from the shelter of the trees, and retire on
the slightest approach of danger, being decidedly shy and
retiring in their habits.

Most of our readers are well acquainted with the Common
Pheasant in a semi-domesticated state, when it is undoubtedly
polygamous, one male pairing with many females, but there
seems to be good reason for believing that this habit has been
acquired ; for, in a really wild state, all the evidence, though it is
certainly somewhat scanty, tends to show that this, as well as
the other species of Fhasiafiiis, are monogamous, the cock
bird remaining with the female during the period of incubation,
and taking part in the duties of protecting and rearing the
young. In this, as in other countries, where Pheasants are
reared for sport, the greater number of birds killed are cocks,
and hence in the following spring there is generally a pre-
ponderance of females ; which may account for the polygamous
habits of introduced birds. The males are remarkably quarrel-
some in the pairing-season, fighting fiercely with one another
for the different females, the more powerful birds appropriating
the lion's share for their harem. When the females have laid
their full complement of eggs, the male troubles his head no
more about them, leaving them to undertake all the cares of
rearing their family unaided. They cannot be called good
mothers, for, unlike the majority of game-birds, on the approach
of danger, they seek safely in flight, leaving the young to escape
and hide themselves as best they can. This habit is often
extremely disastrous to the brood, especially when the chicks
are very small, for, on her return^ the mother is apparently per-
fectly satisfied with finding one or two of her scattered young,
and the remainder are consequently left to perish. For this
reason gamekeepers are naturally anxious that the coverts,
where " wild birds " are breeding, should not be disturbed
u{iring the nesting-season, and it is hardly surprising that they
§liould treat trespassers \yith scant courtesy. The majority of

12 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBR.^RY.

birds shot annually in the large preserves in this country and
in Europe, are of course reared from eggs placed under domestic
hens, who make excellent mothers to their foster-children. On
leaving her nest in the morning; and evening in search of food,
the hen Pheasant is always careful to cover her eggs with dead
leaves, and she generally quits and returns to her nest on the
wing, thus avoiding as far as possible the danger of bsing
tracked by her enemies.

The crow of the male resembles the syllables or-op'/c, wliich
are often repeated several times in succession, and may be
exactly imitated by opening the mouth and drawing the breath
in sharply to the back of the throat. Tl'iis call is generally to
be heard in the morning and evening, especially about sunset,
when the birds are going to roost, but during the pairing-
season it may be heard at all times of the day, and is also
given vent to when they are flushed or suddenly startled by
the report of a gun, or a clap of thunder.

There can be no doubt that if the Pheasant were not arti-
iicially reared and annually turned down in this country, it
would soon cease to exist, for, in hard winters especially, the old
birds left for stock are largely dependent on artificial feeding.
The chief food consists of grain, seeds, berries, and young
shoots, varied with insects and grubs, wire-worms being a
favourite morsel.

Pure-bred examples of F. cohhicus are now rarely to be met
with in England, the great majority of birds being hybrids with
the Cliinese Ring-Necked Pheasant {P. iorqna/us), which was
subsequently introduced.

Like the rest of its kind, the Pheasant, though it roosts and
often perches on trees, is essentially a ground bird, and a tre-
mendous runner ; the old cocks, having learnt wisdom from
past experience, frequently refuse to rise at the net and face
the guns so anxiously waiting to salute them, and may be seen
running back among the beaters as fast as their legs can carry
them. The whir made in rising is loud and startling, but

Tjik true pheasants. ij

wnc-n oticc well on the wing, the Pheasant's flighi is extremely
rapid, being performed by rapid and incessant beats of the
rounded wings, and when coming high, down wind, the pace
at which a good "rocketer" can travel is ahnost incredible.

During tiie nesting-season the hen Pheasant lias numerous
enemies to contend with, the most formidable being the
prowling Fox, who seizes her as she sits on her nest, and the
Rook and Crows, both Hooded and Carrion, who steal and
suck her eggs. A curious instance of the enormous amount of
damage done by Crows came under my notice in May, 1893.

With a friend, I was passing through a Scotch fir i)lantati(jn
forming part of a large estate in the north of Scotland, where
thousands of Pheasants are annually reared and turned down.
The pkuitation ran along about a hundred feet above the
rocky sea-coast, and as we advanced along the slippery path,
we found several sucked Pheasants' eggs, evidently the work
of Crows, nor had we gone far before w^e came suddenly upon
a whole family of Hooded rascals, five young and two old
birds. In the course of about a quarter of a mile, we counted
over a hundred empty shells which had evidently been carried
to the path and there devoured. How many more might
have been discovered had we searched it is impossible to say,
but we saw ample evidence of the wholesale destruction which a
family of Crows is capable of committing among Pheasants'
eggs. Within two miles of this spot, to his shame be it said,
stood a keeper's house, where a thousand young birds were
being reared. This worthy informed us that the great heat
and drought then prevalent was decimating his broods of
young Pheasants, who were dying in scores from a disease
which attacks the eyes, and from which few^ recover. He
voluntcercjLl the information that he had not been over to the
belt of fir wood "for this two months," as there was nothing there
to take him so far ! A little more attention to the destruction
of Hooded Crows in April might have saved a hundred or two
of strong wild-bred birds for the sport in the fall of the year.

14 Allen's ^AttJRALisT^s library.

Female Pheasants that have become barren either from a^e
or through disease of the ovary, generally assume the plumage
of the cock to a greater or less extent, and we have known a
number of instances in which the male plumage had been so
perfectly donned that it was only by the smaller size, blunt
spurs, and much shorter tail, that the true sex of the individual
could be ascertained. Last year I examined a hen Pheasant
in perfectly normal plumage, but with a well-developed sharp
spur on each leg ; this bird, on dissection, was found to have
been shot in the left ovary, a No. 2 or 3 shot (!) being there
embedded, which had destroyed the organ, and given rise to
an ugly tumourous growth. The wound was evidently an old-
standing one, but in this instance the plumage had remained
normal.

The Common Pheasant not only crosses with other species
of its own kind, but hybrids are occasionally produced be-
tween it and the Black Game, Domestic Fowl, and Guinea
Fowl, while instances are on record of hybrids between
Pheasant and Capercaillie.

Albinos and piebald birds are by no means an uncommon
occurrence among our semi-domesticated birds, but no doubt
much rarer among really wild individuals.

Nest. — A mere hollow in the ground, roughly lined with dead
leaves, and carefully hidden from view by dead fern, brambles,
or coarse grass or other herbage.

Eggg^ — Vary in number from eight to twelve, but a score or
more are sometimes found in one nest, probably the produce of
more than one female ; they are broad ovals, slightly pointed at
the smaller end, gen.erally bro\Vn or olive-brown in colour,
more rarely bluish-green, uniform in tint, and with rather a
smooth polished shell. Average measurements, rS by i'4
inch.

SUB-SP. a. THE TALISCH PHEASANT. PHASIANUS TALISCHENSIS.

Phasianus persicus talischensis^ Lorenz, J. f. O. 1888, p. 571.

TllE TRUE PHEASANTS. i$

FJiasianus (alischensis, Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. I^iit. iMus. xxii.
p. 324 (1893).

This is an intermediate form between P. cohhicus and the
following species, P. persiais^ but most nearly allied to the
former.

Adult Male. — Differs from P, persicus and resembles P.
colchicus in having the wing-coverts sandy-hroivn instead of
nearly white ; on the other hand, the middle of the breast and
sides of the belly are purplish-carmine^ and the feathers of the
chest and upper breast are narrowly margined with purple, as
in P. persicus.

Adult Female. — Similar to the female of P. colchicus.

Range. — This sub-species inhabits Talisch, a district border-
ing the south-western shore of the Caspian Sea. It is most
likely this bird (called P, colchicus by Mr. W. T. Blanford)
is plentiful throughout Mazandaran to the Gurgan River, which
enters the Caspian Sea on the south coast. To the north
of this, true P. persicus is found.

Habits — No doubt perfectly similar to those ®f its Western
ally.

II. THE PERSIAN PHEASANT. PHASIANUS PERSICUS.

PhasiiDius persicus, Severtz. Bull. I\Josc. xlviii. pt. 3, p. 208
(1875) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. ]\Ius. xxii. p. 324

(1893)-
Adult Male. — May be easily distinguished from P. colchicus
by having the lesser and median wifig-coverts nearly ivhite. The
lower back, rUmp, and upper tail-coverts are more strongly
glossed with purplish-lake in all lights ; the black bars down the
middle of the tail-feathers are much narrower ; the feathers of
the chest and breast are glossed with purplish-lake and with
much narrower dark purple margins, and the middle of the
breast and sides of the belly are purplish-carmine. Total
length, 35 inches; wing, 9*3; tail, 19*5; tarsus, 2*8

1 5 ALLEN 'S NATURAfJSX's LIBRARY.

Adult Pemale. — Closely resembles the female of P. colchkus.

Range. — South-east of the Caspian Sea, Ashourada Island,
and the Peninsula of Potemkin ; extending to the east, along
the valleys of the Atrak, Sumbar, and Chandir Rivers.

in. THE PRINCE OF wales' pheasant, phasianus

PRINCIPALIS.

Phfisitnuis principalis^ Sclater, P. Z. S. 1885, p. 322, pi. xxii. ;

Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (2) Zool. v. p. 86, pi. vii. (1889) ;

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 325 (1893).
riiasianus konia?-ozvii, Bogd. Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. xxx. p.

356 (1886).

Adult Male. — ^lay be easily distinguished Ijy having the Avhite
wing-coverts of F. persicns, but, unlike that species, the rump is
bronze-red, and practically there is no purple-lake gloss on the
loNver back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; the feathers of the
chest and breast are broadly tipped with purplish-red bronze, and
the flank-feathers are broadly tipped with dark purplish-green.
Total length, 35*5 inches; wing, 9-4; tail, 21-5; tarsus, 27.

Adult Female. — Much paler than the female of P. colchicus
and P. persicus, the ground-colour of the feathers of the mantle
being paler rufous, and the general colour of the re-t of the
plumage /c?^ sandy-buff. It is extremely similar to the female
of jP. c/irysonielas, from the Amu-Darya, described below, having
the black spots on the middle of the chest-feathers more
strongly marked than in the other allied species.

Range. — Norlh-western Afghanistan and north-east Persia.

Haljits. — This extremely handsome species was first dis-
covered in 1884 by the members of the Afghan Delimita-
tion Commission, and Dr. J. \l. T. Aitchison, the naturalist
attached to the Expedition, prepared some beautiful skins.
He informs us that " the specimens of this Phtasant were all got
on the banks of the Bala-Morghab, where it occurs in con-

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. I7

siderable numbers in the tamarisk and grass jungle growing
in the bed of the river. More than four hundred were killed
on the march of thirty miles up this river. It not only wades
through the water in trying to make from one point of vantage
to another, but swims, and seems to be quite at home in these
thickets, where there is always water to the depth of two or
three feet. These swampy localities afford good shelter. In
the mornings and evenings the Pheasants leave it for the more
open and dry country, where they pick up their food. I
believe the same species is found on the Hari-rud river, but
I have seen no specimens from that locality."

IV. THE ZERAFSHAN PHEASANT. PHASIANUS ZERAFSHANICUS.

Phasianiis zerafshaniais, Tarnovski, Field, Ixxvii. p. 409
(1891); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 326

(1893).
Phasianiis klossovshii, Tarnovski, Field, Ixxvii. p. 409 (1891).
Pfuisiamis tarnovskii^ Seebohm, P. Z. S. 1892, p. 271.

Adult Male. — Closely allied to the male of P. principalis, but
the scapulars are 7iot margined with dark greenish-purple, and
the breast-feathers have narroiv heart-shaped purplish margins,
much as in P. persicus.

Range. — Zarafshan Valley.

Lieutenant G. Tarnovski writes : — " Mr. KIossovskI, who
had resided in Katta-Koorgan for thirteen years, informed me
that Pheasants had made their appearance in the district of
Katta-Koorgan (where we were shooting) about 1883, and that
they had immigrated from the Bokharian dominions, probably
from the Kara-Kul lakes and reeds (the Zarafshan does not
reach the Amu-K)arya, but is lost in the sands of Kara-Kul),
whence they were driven forth by the invasion of the Kisil-
Koom sands, which gradually bury the western part of Bok-
hara under their hills.

" At present this Pheasant steadily moves up the Zarafshan.

l8 ALLEN S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

Thus in the past year, in December, it had been obtained as
high as Goolbah, a village some thirty miles up Samarkand.
It is to be hoped that in a couple of years this species may be
common on the Russian Zarafshan. On the other hand, P,
mo7igolicus (turned out in 1881-83) ^^s nearly disappeared in
Pagbeet ; in the past year there has been obtained but one
specimen of this species (November, 1890, Lake Doort-Kul),
which tends to prove that it is being crowded out by the
aboriginal species.

" The Pheasant of the Zarafshan has a mode of life totally
differing from its other Asiatic brethren, owing to the high
state of cultivation of the Zarafshan Valley; it breeds and
nests in reed swamps and marshes bordering on this stream,
and takes its food from the neighbouring fields and gardens.
The best time for obtaining it is just before sunrise, when it
may be found congregated in the reed swamps mentioned
above. Mr. Klossovski shot in November, 1890, a hen of this
species in male plumage."

The account given by Lieutenant Tarnovski of the habits of
this bird closely agrees with Dr. Aitchison's account of the
habits of P. pri?icipalis given above, and there can be no doubt
that the present species is in every way closely allied to it.

V. SHAW'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS SHAWL

Phasiamis shawi, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 403; id. Monogr.
Phasian. ii. pi. i. (1872) ; Scully, Stray Feathers, iv. p. 179
(1876) ; Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 35 (1876) ; Sharpe, Second
Yarkand Miss. Aves, p. 120 (i 891) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 326 (1893).
Phasiamis i?isignis, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870^ p. 404; id. Monogr.
Phasian. ii. pi. iii. (1872).
Adult Male. — May be distinguished from P. cokhiais by
having the lesser and median wing-coverts white or ivhitish-
btiff; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts orange-
bronze with greenish and purplish reflections, the feathers of

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. IQ

the two former with a green spot on each side of the shaft ;
and t?ie chest- and breast-feathers edged with da7'k green. The
middle of the breast and sides of the belly are, moreover, con-
spicuously dark green. This species bears the same relation-
ship to P. chrysomelas, described below, that P. persicus bears
\.Q P. principalis. Total length, 35*5 inches; wing, 9*6; tail,
19-5 ; tarsus, 27.

Adi-ilt Female. — Much paler than the female of P. colcJiicus,
the ground-colour of the mantle h€\x\'i pale rufous-buff^ and the
general colour of the rest of the plumage light buff. Total
length, 23-4 inches; wing, 8*3; tail, ir2 ; tarsus, 2-3.

Range. — Valleys of Yarkand and Kashgar, as far east as the
Aksu and Khotan rivers.

Habits. — Dr. J. Scully writes : — " This fine Pheasant is a per-
manent resident in the plains of Eastern Turkestan, frequent-
ing long grass jungle and reeds growing in waste ground. It is
said to occur most plentifully in the Dolan jungle, Makit and
Maralbashi being mentioned as places where it is particularly
numerous. However, it is common enough near Kashgar and
Yarkand. I know of two rather good places for this Pheasant,
one between Yarkand and Kokrabat, and another near Besh-
kant. The flight of this bird is rather slow, and it commonly
goes over the long grass only for a short distance, and then
drops down. When alarmed the male bird utters a harsh^. shrill
cry.

"These Pheasants are the most untameable birds it is pos-
sible to conceive. In confinement they knock their tails to
pieces, and wear all the feathers off their heads in insane
attempts at escape ; so that a dozen of these birds, after they
have been captives for awhile, become the most ragged crew
imaginable. Even after being kept in a pheasant-house for
months, whenever one approached within a dozen yards of
them, they were so alarmed that they would almost knock
themselves to pieces, tumble over each other, and fly straight

c 2

20 alt.en's naturalist's librarv.

upwards, with shrill cries, against the roof of their house. The
Yarkandis said that even when caught young these birds could
not be tamed.

" The flesh of this Pheasant is, of course, very good eating,
but in my humble opinion does not come up to that ot Teirao-
gallus tibetaniis (the Tibetan Snow-Cock)."

Young Birds are said to attain full size in about five months.

Neot. — On the ground, in long grass jungle.

Eggs. — From twelve to fifteen in number ; like those of P.
colchiciis, varying in colour from brownish-buff to greyish stone-
colour ; mostly a broad oval, slightly compressed towards one
end. Average measurements, 174 by i"4i inch.

VI. THE TARIM PHEASANT. PHASIANUS TARIMENSIS.

F/iasianus tarimensis^ Prjevalsky, Dritte Reise Centr. Asia, p.
95 (1883); Pleske, P. Z. S. 188S, p. 415 ; Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 327 (1893).

Adult Mal3. — Closely allied to the male of the last species, P.
shaivi, but the lesser and median wing-coverts are yellowisJ,-
brown instead of whitish ; the feathers of the chest and sides of
the breast are fiery bronze-red, glossed with oily green and
purple, and devoid of nuD-giiial bands^ and the margins to the
feathers of the rump and upper tail-coverts are green and buff,
instead of orange-red. Total length, 30-5 inches ; wing, 9-3 ;
tail, 16-3 ; tarsus, 2-3.

Adult Female. — Similar to the female of P. shaivi.

Range. — Extending from Karaschar, along the Tarim Valli^y,
to Lob-nor.

VII. THE OXUS PHEASANT. PHASIANUS CHRYSOMELAS.

Phasiamis chrysomelas, Severtzov, Bull. Mosc. xlviii. pt. 3, p.
207 (1875); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 36 (1876); Ogilvie-
Gr .nt, Cat. P.. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 327 (1893).

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 21

Phasianus dorrandii ^nd P. oxianns, Sevcitzov, J. f. O. 1875,
p. 225.
Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from its nearest ally, P.
shawi, by having a triangular dark green spot at the extremity
of each feather of the mantle, back, and rump; the feathers of
the mantle more widely edged, and those of the chest, breast,
and flanks very widely tipped ivilli the same colour. The dark
green on the breast and sides of the body much less extensive.
Total length, 34 inches ; wing, 9*3 ; tail, 19 ; tarsus, 28.

Adult Female. — Resembles the female of P. shaiui, but, as in
the female oi P. principalis^ the black spots on the middle of
the chest and breast-feathers are more strongly marked. Total
length, 24 inches; wing, 8'3 ; tail, i2"4; tarsus, 2"4.

Range. — Valley of the Oxus or Amu-Darya.

Dr. Severtzov writes : — " My observations on the habits of
this Pheasant extend from the month of July to the middle of
October. In July they come out from the jungle every morn-
ing and evening for the purpose of feeding, and both at sunrise
and after sunset their screams may be heard in the bushes ;
but day by day towards the end of that month they are seen
less and less, and remain more concealed in the thickets. The
males are now fast moulting, and the females also, but in a less
degree, the latter being then occupied with their chickens.
At this time neither males nor females sit on the trees as they
do later on, but remain always on the ground, and, from the
footprints in the mud, I opine that at this season of the year
the moulting Pheasants are actively pursued by the Marsh-Cat
{Fells chaus). During the night, however, the birds retreat to
such thickets as render the noiseless approach of their enemy
impossible.

"The birds, as soon as the moult is ended, gather in small
flocks, consisting of males, females, and young ; some old
males, however, remain single. This association begins with
the first days of October, but it is not very strictly kept up.

2 2 /VLLEN's NxVTURALIST's LIBRARY.

During the day, numbers of them often disperse among the
bushes, a flock of from ten to fifteen specimens occupying a
space of as many acres, and on being disturbed they fly up one
at a time. They keep more together when feeding in open
places, as, for instance, on the stubble-land. They eat the
seeds of Ekagniis, IIaiimode?idron, and Alhagi. Near the
open spaces covered with the last-named thorny grass they
conceal themselves amongst the tamarisk bushes, in which
they And shelter, but no food. Besides these wild seeds, they
eat in autumn every kind of cultivated corn, particularly Pani-
cum iniliaceum^ as well as peas and lupins. The flocks, though
often dispersed during the day, gather themselves together more
closely at night, which they generally pass in the densest
bushes, as in summer. I have also found them assembling for
the niglit on the walls of abandoned and deserted farmyards,
which on the Oxus, as well as in Turkestan, are built of clay,
in the form of small fortresses.

" I have never seen a dog bring one of the Pheasants to
perch, as is related of P. cokhicus in the Caucasus ; and, indeed,
P. chrysomelas is eminently a ground bird, perching only
exceptionally, although commencing to do so at an earlier
season than P. mongolicus'^

With a broad white ring round the neck.

VIII. THE MONGOLIAN RING-NECKED PHEASANT. PHASIANUS
MONGOLICUS.

Phasianus viongolicus^ Brandt. Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. iii. p.
51 (1844); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 41 (1858); Elliot,
Monogr. Phas. ii. pi. iv. (1872) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 328 (1893).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from all the maroon- and
red-rumped species previously described, by having a bi'oad
white ri?tg (interrupted in front) round the neck ; otherwise it
most nearly resembles P, _persirus, but the mantle, chest, and

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 23

breast are bronzy orange-red glossed with purple-carmine in one
light, and green in the other ; the rump is dark maroon, strongly
glossed with green, shading into purple ; the throat is pu?plish
brojizy-red ; the breast- and flank- feathers are tipped laifh very
dark green ; and the middle of the breast and sides of the belly
2iXQ dark green. It is, moreover, rather a large bird. Total length,
36*5 inches ; wing, 9'6 ; tail, 22; tarsus, 2"8.

Adult Female. — Much like the female of P. chrysoinelas, but
there is a black spot near the extremity of each feather of tlie
upper mantle and a black bar across the middle^ instead of a
broad black sub-marginal border. Total lengtli, 26 inches ;
wing, 8-5; tail, 12-3; tarsus, 2-5.

Range. — From the valley of the Syr-Darya across the basin of
Lake Balkash as far east as Lake Saisan and the valley of the
Black Irtish, and southwards to the valley of the Hi and Issik-
Kul

We can find no notes of importance on the habits of this
truly splendid Pheasant.

SUB-SP. a. SEVERTZOV'S RING-NECKED PHEASANT. PHASIANUS

SEMITORQUATUS.

Phasianus semitorquatus, Severtz. Ibis, 1875, P- 49^^ Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 329 (1893).

Adult Male. — Very similar to the male of P. mongolicus, but,
when skins of the two birds are placed side by side, it will be
seen that the mantle, rump, throat, chest, and upper breast
of the present bird are glossed with dull oily green, instead
of purple-carmine, and the white ring is more widely inter-
rupted on the fore-part of the neck.

Adult Female. — Very similar to the female of P. mongolicus.

Range. — Dzungaria ; in the vicinity of Ebi-nor, Kuldja,
Urumtsi, and Gutchen.

Nothing is recorded concerning the habits of this species,
but they probably do not differ much from those of the allied

24 ALLENS NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

forms, Severt'ov says that the country between Kuldja and
Urumtsi, at the base of the Tian-shan mountains, where this
form was first obtained, is a steppe locality with a rivulet and
marshes.

B. General colour of the loiver back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts greenish or bluish slate-colour, zvith a rust-
coloured patch on each side {except in P. versicolor).
M'^^ith a white ring round the Jieck.

IX. THE CHINESE RING-NECKED PHEASANT. PHASIANUS
TORQUATUS.

Phasianus torquatus, Gmelin, S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 742 (1788); J
E. Gray, 111. Ind. Orn. ii. pi. 41, fig. i (1834); Gould,
B. Asia, vii. pi. 39 (1856) ; Sclater and Wolf, Zool. Sket.
i. pi. 37 (1861) ; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. v. (1872) ;
Prjevalsky, in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 385 (1877);
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 331 (1893).

Phasianus albotorquatus, Bonnat. Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. p. 184

(1791)-

{Plate XXn.)

Adult Male. — The colour of the lower back, &c., mentioned
above, serves to distinguish this species at a glance from all those
already described. The ground-colour of the mantle and flank-
feathers is bright ora?tge-buff instead of primrose, as in P. for-
mosanus (but it must be added that in some birds from Corea
and China this difference is scarcely apparent) ; the chest- and
breast-feathers have only the fiarrowest purple margins, and
the whole breast is glossed with purplish-lake, as in P.persicus.
From the red-rumped species this and the following birds are
further distinguished by having the black bars on the basal
part of the tail-feathers much wider. Total length, 35 inches ;
wing, 9'2 ; tail, 20*2 ; tarsus, 27.

Adult Female. — Closely resembles the female of P. colchicus.
Total length, 24*5 inches; wing, 8-2 ; tail, 10-5; tarsus, 2*4.

PLATE XXII.

RING - NE C KED PHEASANT.

IIIE IRUE PHEASANTS. 2^

Range. — Extending from the lower Amoor, Mantchuria,
Corea, Tsu-sima (Japan), and Eastern Mongolia, through
Northern and Eastern China as far south as Canton. Although
this species appears to have been found wild by ]\f r. Hoist on
the island of Tsu-sima, which is between the Corean coast and
Kiusiu, the southern island of Japan, it seems to us probable
I hat it has been introduced there.

On the island of St. Helena, where it was of course in-
troduced, it has lon» been wild, and numbers arc killed
annually.

Habits. — The best account of the habits of the Chinese Ring-
necked Pheasant is given by Prjevalsky, who writes as follows : —
" We met with the Pheasant north of Gu-bey-key, in Muni-ul,
and along the northern bend of the Hoang-ho River. In
the former locality they inhabit the wooded districts, usually
in the vicinity of brooks, and do not ascend any mountains
beyond 6,500 feet above the level of the sea. In the Hoang-
ho Valley they keep in the thick groves near Chinese fields and
habitations, and drink out of rain-pools or wells, there being
only very few brooks and rivulets. The courtship in spring is
probably like that of our European Pheasant. The calling of
the male reminds one of the voice of a young barn-door fowl,
and is followed by a flapping of the wings ; it can be heard at
a verst (two-thirds of a mile) distance in clear weather. It
usually pairs at the same place, choosing for that purpose the
bushes, or some little hill, but never a tree. After each call
it remains silent for from five to fifteen minutes, according to the
intensity of its excitement and the time of the day. Its calls
are loudest and most freque^nt at sunrise and just before sun-
set.

'' In spring the pairing commences in the beginning of
April, and lasts until the end of June, when the males fight
vigorously, just like our barn-door fowls, the conqueror pur-
suing the conquered biid until it is driven off. The hens
usually keep close to the cocks, but do not utter any note,

20 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

and can be seen in the daytime promenading in company with
them. At that time these Pheasants are very wild and difficult
to approach ; whilst at all other seasons they are most easy to
shoot with the aid of a dog or by waiting for them at their
drinking-places.

"Immediately the breeding-season is over, the males com
mence moulting, which lasts until October; and I have seen
some which have lost all their tail-feathers at one time. In
summer we found in Ordos many families of from six to ten
specimens which were very various in size ; and even as late
as August some young ones were observed which did not
exceed a Ptarmigan in size, and we found that generally
Pheasants breed very late in Mongolia, and that the young
grow slowly.

"Whenever w^e saw a family of these Pheasants the old birds
were present ; and the male bird seems to look as anxiously
after the young as the hen, and, on the approach of danger,
crows most vigorously, whilst the hen at once takes to wing
and tries to attract the attention of the sportsman and his dog.
The young always endeavour to save themselves by running,
and do not separate from each other until late in the
autumn."

As has been already remarked, since the introduction of
the species into Europe and the British Islands it has inter-
bred freely with P. co/ckiats, and it is now only rarely that one
comes across what appears to be a really pure-bred bird of either
species. The traces of the Chinese species in ne^irly pure-bred
F. colchicus are manifest in the partially defined white collar
(sometimes only one or two white feathers) and the green bars
on the feathers of the low^r back ; while in nearly pure-bred
P. forquatiis, the plumage of the mantle and flanks is darker
than in typical Chinese examples, and the lesser and median
wing-coverts are mixed with sandy-brown.

Crosses between this species and the Japanese P. versicolor,
with which it readily interbreeds, are remarkably fine birds,

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 2^

the male hybrids surpassing in size and beauty the males of
either species.

The 7iest and es!;gs are like those of P. colcldcus.

X. THE SA-TSCHEN RING-NECKED PHEASANT. PIIA5IANUS
SATSCHEUNENSIS.

Phasianus safschenneusis, Prjevalsky, Reisen in Tibet, p. 59

(18S4); Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. IMus. xxii. p. t,t,z

(1893).

Adult Male. — This is a very pale form of P. torqiiafiis, from

which it may be distinguished by having the general colour of

the upper-parts much paler, the scapulars and secondary quills

being margined with sandy-brown instead of Indian-red j the

margins to the feathers of the chest and under-parts arc wider

and purplish-green .

Adult Female.— Very viuch paler than the female of P. tor-
quafus, the general colour of the upper parts being pale buff
with the black markings much diminished in size ; the chin
and throat pure white ; and the under-parts whitish-buff with
faint indications of brown cross-bars on the sides and flanks.

Range. — Sa-tschen, north of the Nan-Shan Mountains.

XI. THE FORMOSAN RING-NECKED PHEASANT. PHASIANUS

FORMOSANUS.

Phasianus forniosa?ius, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 406 ; id.

Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. vi. (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.

Brit. Mus. xxii. p. ^t,2> (1893).

Adult Male. — Distinguished from P. torquaius in having the

ground-colour of the mantle and flanks pale primrose ; the

chest but slightly glossed with pink, and the margins of the

feathers more widely edged all round with purplish-green.

Adult Female.— Appears to differ from the female of P.
torquatus in having the barring on the feathers of the chest

2S ALLEN'S NATURALLST'S LIBRARY'.

and breast darker and more distinct. Only the type specimen,
however, has been examined.

Range. — The Island of Formosa.

Habits — Swinhoe reports the habits of this species as similar
to those of its Chinese ally, and says that it affords excellent
sport, being particularly numerous.

With no ivhite ring round the neck, or only traces of one.

XIL THE CHINESE RINGLESS PHEASANT. PHASIANUS
DECOLLATUS.

Phasianiis decollatus, Swinhoe, P Z. S. 1870, p. 135; Elliot,
Monogr. Phasian. ii.pl. vii. (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 331 (1893).

Adult Male. — Very similar to the male of/*, iorquatus^ but the
white ring surrounding the neck is absent in typical examples,
though, where the ranges of the two birds approach one
another (for example at the Ichang Gorge), examples of the
present species show traces of a white ring, some of the feathers
on the hind-neck being banded with white. It further differs
in having the crown of the head dark green instead of pale
bronze-green, and the margins to the chest-feathers ninch
broader and dark-green instead of purple. Total length, 34
inches; wing, 9*2; tail, i8'5 ; tarsus, 2'8.

Adult Female. — Most like the female of P. stranchi, but the
black patches, especially those on the scapulars, wing-coverts,
and lower back, are larger and nioi^e strongly marked ; and the
ground-colour of tlie mantle is darker chestnut. Total length,
25 inches ; wing, 8'i; tail, io"5 ; tarsus, 2'^.

Range. — Western China, extending from Western Yunnan,
northwards to Southern Shen-si, eastwards to the Sin-ling
Mountains, and southwards to Western Quei-chow.

Habits. — Of all the True Pheasants this is perhaps tlie rarest
in collections, though common enough in many parts of its

TIIK Tl^UE PIll'ASANTS. 2Cj

range. In Western Szc-chuen, Mr. Pratt met with this species
on the grassy slopes on the spurs of the mountains up to an
elevation of about 9,000 feet. He observed that it avoided the
forest regions, ahvays preferring the brushwood, and that in con-
finement it invariably roosted on the ground. We can find
no other notes referring to this species, but no doubt its habits
are generally similar to those of I*, iorquatus^ of which it is the
south-western representative.

X[II. STRAUCUS PHEASANT. PHASIANUS STRAUCHI.

PhasiaiiHs .f//-*?//*;-///, Trjevalsky, Mongol, ii. pt. 2, p. 119, pi.

xvii. (1876) ; id. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 417

(1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 330

(1893).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from the males of both

P. elegaus and P vlcmgalii by having the chest and sides

of the breast fiefj ora?ige-red with narrow, complete, dark

purplish-green margins instead of dark green ; from the

former it is further distinguished by having the middle of

the scapulars whitish-lmff freckled with black next the shaft,

and from the latter by the margins of these feathers being

IndiiDi-red. Total length, 36*5 inches; wing, 9-4; tail, 23-3;

tarsus, 2 '5.

Adult Female. — Upper-parts much like those of P. cokhicus,
but the feathers of the nape and mantle are indistinctly tipped
with dark green, instead of violet and purple ; the under-
partsare whitish buff barred with black, the bars on the flanks
having some green gloss. Total length, 23-5 inches; wing,
8'i ; tail, 12*5 ; tarsus, 2-2.

Range. — Nortli-western Kansu.

Habits. — Prjevalsky, who originally discovered and named
this very handsome species says: — *' The bird inhabits the
wooded parts of the Kansu Mountains, up to an absolute

30 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

height of 10,000 feet. It appears to be most numerous in
the Tetunga and Buguk-gol valleys, but higher up these rivers,
where woods are scarce, it disappears.

*' In voice and habits it does not differ from P. torquatus and
P. vlangalii. The breeding-season commences in April or
March, and lasts until the middle of July. The earliest young
we obtained on the 23rd of June. The number of young
averages from six to ten, and sometimes even twelve ; they are
always accompanied by both parents ; and very often the male
bird defends the young even more vigorously than the female."

XIV. VLANGALI'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS VLANGALII.

Phasianus vlangalii, Prjevalsky, Mongol, ii. pt. 2, p. 116, pi
xvi. (1876); id. in Rowley's Orn. I^Iisc. ii. p. ^Z^i
(1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. :^Ius. xxii. p. 330
(1893).

Adult Male. — T^Iay be distinguished from P. elegans by hav-
ing the general colour of the mantle and scapulars saiidy-red,
and the sides and flanks golden-buff instead of dull orange-red
glossed with purple ; from P. strauchi it differs in having the
colour of the chest dark green. Total length, 31-5 inches;
wing, 9-5; tail, 17*5; tarsus, 2-6.

Adult Female. — Upper-parts like those of P. colchicus, but the
predominating colour is pale buff and the black markings are
much fainter; throat pure white; under-parts whitish-buff with
faint brown cross-bars. Total length, 22-5 inches; wing, 8*2;
tail, II ; tarsus, 2-4.

Range. — Tsaidam marshes, extending north to the Koko-nor
Mountains.

HaMts. — Concerning this species, Prjevalsky remarks : — " We
found this bird in Tsaidam, where it inhabits the cane-groves
and bush-covered localities. In autumn and winter it feeds
principally on berries, which it eats while sitting on the
branches, and at that time especially is very wild and wary.

THE TRUE PHEASANTS. 3I

It docs not differ in voice from P. fon/uafus, and begins to
breed very early in spring. We tiave heard it as early as ttie
I3tli of I'ebruary."

XV. stone's PHEASANT. PH AST ANUS EI.EGANS.

Phasianics elei^cins^ Elliot, Ann. and Mag. N. H. (4) vi. p. 312
(1870); id. Monogr. Piiasian. ii. pi. viii. (1872); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 329 (1893).

FJiasianus sladeni, Anderson ]\IS.; Elliot, P. Z. S. 1870, pp.
404, 408 ; Anderson, Rcp.Zool. W. Yunnan, p. 671 (1878).

Adult Male. — In general appearance this species somewhat re-
sembles a hybrid between F. co/chiais and F. versicolor. Apart
from the general bluish slate-colour of the lower back and rump-
feathers, which are ornamented with rather wide sub-terminal
dark green bands, and the rust-coloured patches on each side
of the rump, it has the lesser and median wing-coverts green-
ish-grey ; the chest, upper- and middle-parts of the breast, and
the sides of the belly dark greeji; the feathers of the mantle
light red with wide dull greenish-bronze margins, and the flank-
feathers very similar, but tipped with very dark purplish-green.
Total length, 27-5 inches; wing, 9-1 ; tail, 147 ; tarsus, 2-5.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the female of F. cokhicus
in having the throat and fore-part of the neck white, and the
chest and rest of the under-parts barred irregularly with black.
It nearly resembles the female of F. strauchi, described above.
Total length, 21 inches; wing, 7-9; tail, 9*8; tarsus, 2*3.

Range. — South-western China, Western Sze-chuen, and West
Yunnan.

We can find no record of the habits of this Pheasant ; the
two examples sent to the Zoological Gardens by Mr. Stone
were obtained in the Yun-ling Mountains, and it was from one
of them that Mr. Elliot took his description. Dr. Anderson met
with it on the grassy hills in the Momien district of Western
Yunnan.

22 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIDRARY.

XVL THE JAPANESE PHEASANT. PHASL\NUS VERSICOLOR.

Phasiimus versicolor^ Vieill. Gal. Ois. ii. p. 23, pi. 205 (1825) ;
Temm. PI. Col. v. pis. 6 and 7 [Nos. 486, 493] (1830) ;
Cassin, Perry's Exp. Jap. ii. p. 223, pi. i (1856) ; Gould,
B. Asia, vii. pi. 40 (1857) ; Sclater and Wolf, Zool. Sket.
i. pi. 38 (1861) ; Elliot, Monogr. Phas. ii. pi. ix. (1872);
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 334 (1893).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from all other species of
the genus by having the whole of the under-parts tmiform dark
g}'eefi. The mantle is dark green shot with purple, each feather
being ornamented with concentric lines of buff, and there is 7io
rust-red patch on each side of the rump, which is uniform
greenish-slate. In this respect the present species differs from
F. torqiiatus ZiX\A all the allied forms with slate-coloured rumps.
Total length, 29 inches ; wing, 9*6 ; tail, 17-5 ; tarsus, 27.

Adult Female. — Much like the female of P. straiichi, but the
feathers of the mantle have the centre almost e?itirely black,
with sometimes a thin rufous shaft-stripe and the green tips
are generally conspicuous ; the black bars on the brenst and
flmks are much more strongly marked. Total length, 24
inches; wing, 8*2; tail, 10-5; tarsus, 2-2.

Hange. — The Japanese Islands, except Yezo.

Habits. — Mr. Heine, who met with this beautiful bird on the
hills in the neighbourhood of Simoda, supplies the following
account : — " The walk and ascent had fatigued me somewhat ;
I had laid down my gun and game-bag, and was just stooping
to drink from a little spring that trickled from a rock, when,
not ten yards from me, a large Pheasant arose, with loud rust-
ling noise, and before I had recovered my gun, he had dis-
appeared over the brow of a hill. I felt somewhat ashamed
for allowing myself thus to be taken so completely aback ; but
noticing the direction in which he had gone, I proceeded more
carefully in pursuit. A small stretch of table-land, which T

THE TRUE PHEASANTS: ;^^

soon reached, was covered with short grass and some h'ttle
clusters of shrubs, with scattered fragments of rocks ; and as
1 heard a note which I took to be the crowing of a cock
Pheasant, at a short distance, I availed myself of the excellent
cover, and, crawling cautiously on my hands and knees, I
succeeded in approaching him within about fifteen yards.
Having the advantage of the wind and a foggy atmosphere,
and, being, moreover, concealed by the rocks and some shrubs,
I could indulge in quietly observing him and his family. On
a small sandy patch was an adult cock and three hens busily
engaged in taking their breakfast, which consisted of the
berries already mentioned growing hereabouts in abundance.
From time to time the lord of this little family stopped in his
repast and crowed his shrill war-cry, which was answered by a
rival on another hill at some distance. At other moments,
again, when the sun broke forth for a short time, all stretched
themselves in the golden rays, and, rolling in the sand, shook
the morning dew from their fme plumage."

The Japanese Pheasant interbreeds readily with the Chinese
Ring-necked Pheasant, the male hybrid being a remarkably
fine bird, surpassing in size and beauty either of its parents.
This species also crosses freely with F. cokhicus^ the males being
truly splendid birds, not unlike P. elegans in general colouring,
but very much larger. I have been informed that such
cross-bred birds are much recommended for turning down in
preserves, not only on account of their larger size, but because
of their more sedentary habits, for it appears that they seldom
stray from the coverts where they have been reared, are less
given to running, rise rapidly, and when on the wing fly with
greater power.

Females of this species are occasionally met with in male
plumage.

Nest and Eggs. — Very similar to those of the Common
Pheasant.

12 D

34 Allen's naturalist's libra r v.

11. Cj'owii of the head reddish.
XVII. scemmerring's copper pheasant. PHASIANUS

SGExMMERRINGI.

Phasiatiiis soemmerringii^ Temm. PI. Col. v. pis. 8 and 9 [Nos.
487, 488J (1830); Cassin, in Perry's Exped. Japan, ii. p.
^25, pi. 2 (1856); Sclater, in Wolfs Zool. Sketches, 2,
pi. 32 (1861); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 37 (1867); Elliot,
Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. xii. (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 336 (1893).

Adult Male. — General colour above chestnut or brownish-
chestnut, the margins of the feathers of the upper-parts and
chest glossed with purplish-carmine, changing to fiery gold ;
the basal part of the feathers black, most conspicuous on the
wing-coverts ; breast and rest of the under-parts and tail-feathers
chestnut, the long middle pair with wide-set narrow black bars
dividing the lighter from the darker chestnut, and the outer
pairs widely tipped with black. Total length, 50 inches ; wing,
88 ; tail, 37 ; tarsus, 2-5.

Adult Female. — Crown of the head blackish^ each feather
margined with rufous; general colour of the upper-parts black,
motded with sandy-buff and rufous, the feathers on the mantle
with the ground-colour mostly rufous, those of the back and
scapulars mostly black, with buff shaft-stripes ; chin, throat,
and fore-part of the neck pale buff, most of the feathers, except
those down the middle, being tipped with black. Chest pale
greyish-rufous, spotted with black ; rest of the under-parts
mostly buff; tail-feathers chestnut, the middle pairs indistinctly
mottled with black and buff, the outer pairs tipped with black
and white. Total length, 2ro inches; wing, 8-i ; tail, 7-5;
tarsus, 2 "I.

Range. — The Japanese islands of Hondo and Kiu-siu.

Habits. — Very little has been written about the habits of
Scemmerring's Copper Pheasant, and the only pubUshed notes
are not very important. Since the year 1865 several birds

'JHE TRUE PHEASANTS. 35

have bred in the Zoological Gardens, but the young birds have
not survived for more than a few days.

Dr. Joseph Wilson gives the following notes on this species :—
"During the first part of our stay at Simoda, the culli\a';ed
fields afforded no food for the Pheasants. The natives told
us they were plentiful in the hills ; but no one was willing to
undertake to show them, and several rambles through the
bushes where these birds were supposed to feed ended in dis-
appointment. Once only I had a glimpse of a brood of young
ones, near a hut in the mountains ; but they immediately dis-
appeared by running very rapidly. Perhaps one reason of our
want of success was to be found in the fact that the wheat was
ripe and partially harvested before we left (June 24th), so that
during the time of our efforts they were enabled to fill their
crops occasionally from the wheat-fields, and lie very close in
the hills during the day, without being under the necessity of
wandering in search of food.

*' The note of one or the other of these species of Pheasants
was heard frequently. On the top of a precipitous hill, about
a mile south of Simoda, covered by small pines and a very
thick growth of shrubbery, a Pheasant (so we were assured by
the Japanese) passed the weary hours while his mate was on
her nest, and very sensibly solaced himself and her with such
music as he^vas capable of making. It was, however, any-
thing but melodious, and may be represented as a sort of com-
pound of the filing of a saw and the screech of a Peacock.
There are two notes only, uttered in quick succession, and re-
presented by the Japanese name of the bird, Ki-ji ; but the
second note is much longer, louder, and more discordant ; in
fact, has more of the saw-filing character, Kee-jaeae. These
two notes are uttered ; and, if the bird is not disturbed, they
are repeated in about five minutes. A good many attempts,
perhaps twenty, to become better acquainted with this indi-
vidual all failed; it seemed impossible to make him fly,
though his covert was by no means extensive."

D 2

36 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

Mr. A. D. Bartlett, the Superintendent of the Zoological
Gardens in London, writing of this species, says: — "Among
the Phasianidce some species are remarkable for their pug-
nacious and fierce dispositions ; not only the males, but
frequently the females, destroy each other. The want of
suffi:ient space and means of escape among bushes, shrubs, or
trees is no doubt the cause of many females being killed when
kept in confinement ; and this serious misfortune is unhappily
of no rare occurrence. After the cost and trouble in obtaining
pairs of these beautiful birds, and when they have recovered
from their long confinement on the voyage, their owner is
desirous of reaping a reward by obtaining an abundant supply
of eggs as the birds approach the breeding-season, alas ! he
finds that some disturbance has occurred, the place is filled
with feathers, and the female bird, from which he expected so
much, is found dead or dying, her head scalped, her eyes
picked out, or some other equally serious injury inflicted. I
have found some species more inclined to this cruel practice
than others, the worst, according to my experience, being P,
scemmerringii.^^

Eggs. — Pale greenish-white ; rather long ovals ; shell smooth
and fine. Average measurements, 1*8 by 1-35 inch.

VAR. a. PHASIANUS SCINTILLANS.

Phasianus {Grapliophasianus) scintillaus^ Gould, Ann. Mag.

N. H. (3) xvii. p. 150 (1866); id. B. Asia, vii. pi. 38

(1867).
Phasianus scenimerringn^ var. sdnti/hi?is, Elliot, Monogr.

Phasian. ii. pi. xiii. (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.

Mus. xxii. p. 337 (1893).
By many authors this form of the Scemmerring's Pheasant
is regarded as a distinct species ; but it can only be recognised
as a well-marked variety, for it not only occurs in the same
islands where P. sKmmerr'wgii is found, but every intermediate
stage of plumage between the two forms may be seen.

THE TRUF. PHEASANTS. 37

The most typical male examples have most of the feathers
of the wing-coverts, back, and especially those of the rump,
margined on each side with a ivhite black-edged ba7id, instead
of with fiery gold ; while the lighter parts of the middle tail
feathers below the black cross-bars are usually paler, and often
strongly dotted with black.

Among the females no difference can be observed which is
not merely individual or due to age.

III. Croivn of the head white.

XVIII. REEVES'S PHEASANT. PHASIANUS REEVESII.

Phasiamis reevesii, J. E. Gray, in Griff, ed. Cuv. iii. p. 25
(1829); id. 111. Ind. Zool. i. pi. 39 (1830-32); Sclater in
Wolfs Zool. Sketches, 2, pi. 33 (1861); Gould, B. Asia,
vii.pl. 33 (1869) ; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pl.xi. (1872) ;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 337 (1893).
Phasianus veneratus^ Temm. PL Col. v. pi. 5 [No. 485]

(1830).
Syr7Jiaticus reevesii, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1229.
[Plate XX III.)
Adult Male. — Crown white, surrounded by a wide black band;
chin, throat, and nape zvhite, margined below by a black ring
which surrounds the neck ; upper-parts 7!iost/y ci?iiiamo7i, each
feather bordered with black, producing a scale-like appear-
ance ; wing-coverts white, broadly margined and centred with
black; chest, sides of breast, and flank-feathers somewhat
similar, the two former with chestnut margins, the latter with
buff extremities ; rest of under-parts black. Middle pair of
tail-feathers enormously elongate, white down the middle,
barred with black and chestnut, and brownish-buff on the
sides ; outermost pair buff tipped with black. Total length,
6 feet 6 inches ; wing, 10-3 inches; tail, 5 feet; tarsus, 3-1
inches.

Adult Female. — Crown reddish-hrow7i ; rest of head and neck
buff except the ear-coyerts and a band across the nape, which

38 Allen's naturalist's library.

are mostly blackish-brown ; feathers of the upper mantle
rufous, tipped with brownish-grey, mottled with black, and each
wath a somewhat heart-shaped white spot ; rest of the upper-
parts mottled with rufous, buff, and grey, the wing-coverts and
scapulars with buff, and the lower back with black, shaft-stripes;
chest, breast, and sides somewhat like the mantle, but the white
spots much less conspicuous; rest of under-parts pale buff;
the middle tail-feathers mottled with sandy, buff, and black ;
outer pairs chestnut mixed with black, and barred and tipped
with white. Total length, 32 inches; wing, 9; tail, i6-6; tar-
sus, 2*5.

Range.— Mountains of Northern and Western China, extend-
ing as far east as Kiu-kiang.

HaMts. — The following account of this magnificent Pheasant,
the giant of its genus, is given by Mr. E. F. Creagh, in the
"Field" of May 13th, 1886, and, though written more from a
sportsman's point of view, it gives some idea of the birds' habits
in a wild state, and is by far the most interesting note that I
have been able to find, very few Europeans having had the
good fortune to meet with this Pheasant in its native wilds.

" It was from Ichang, a post at the head waters of the
Yangtse, the great river of China, or rather, where that river
leaves its gorges, that I started with the stream to a large
valley w^here I knew Reeves's Pheasants had been seen. It
is useless to ask any questions of the country folk, who will
always say 'Yes.' I therefore landed and walked along a wide
valley, with high perpendicular mountains of conglomerate on
either side, and beetling over small woods of cypress. The
birds live on the berry of this tree, and fly from one wood to
another. They will never show themselves if they can avoid
it, and, through their great fleetness when running, steal away
from the dogs. Sometimes, however, when taken by surprise,
they rise, and then only by great caution can a single sports-
man hope to get them. Surrounding the small woods with

THE TKUK PHRASANTS. 39

several guns is the best way to bng them. I think they drive
away the common l^lieasant {P. iorguatus)^ for I have never
seen the two species togetlier. This may perhaps be due to the
fact of their h'ving on different food. I had with me at the
time a spaniel and a red Irish setter and, as the dav was fine
and clear, walked on quietly until I came to what appeared a
good country. The hills here were lower and the w^ood fairly
dense, but free of undergrowth. A wood-cutter told me he had
seen several Pheasants a few days ago, but could give me no
further information, so, tying up my spaniel, I determined to
work quietly along with the setter. Although it was January,
the day was hot, and I was obliged to divest myself of my coat
as I struggled up the hill. I worked along the lower ptirt with-
out coming on any scent. Suddenly the setter got very busy,
and moved along, showing me that he had some large game.
I followed on, as well as I could, over the broken ground.
False scent, back again ; then the dog took a turn up the
almost perpendicular rock. Good gracious ! I thought, how
can birds get up there and leave any scent? They had evi-
dently helped themselves with their wings. I was determined
to follow, and brought the setter back to a place where we suc-
ceeded in getting on to the upper ledge after a little scrambling.
Having arrived at the top, as I had anticipated, we soon came
on the scent again, and away went the dog, very cautiously
setting every now and again. Just ahead of us now was a
stone wall. I was very much afraid that my game would rise
just as I was getting over, so I made all preparation for a sur-
prise, and at the moment the setter, who had passed the wall,
was at a ' dead set.' I knew there were several birds or some
larger game by the general activity and caution shown by the
dog. I was soon over the wall, ready for anything. I surveyed
my position in a moment. Below me was long grass, on the
edge I hid left some thick and high trees, on my right a hill,
also with long, rank grass, but no wood. I moved forward a few
paces, but the dog was there like a marble statue. I was very

40 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

badly placed, for I could not see where the game could be. Up
got six Reeves's Pheasants, splendid birds. I felt certain ot
two, but I am sorry to say that I only succeeded in bagging
one, which went rolling down the hill in his last struggles I
bounded after him, afraid the dog would mouth his beautiful
plumage. The bird I had bagged was a cock, measuring five
feet four inches from the bill to end of the tail-feathers. From
the time I first came on their scent, the distance over which I
had worked must have been a mile."

Reeves's Pheasant has at various times been turned down on
some of the large sporting properties in Great Britain, but it
cannot be considered a success, for the males drive away
the Common and Ring-necked Pheasants and do not inter-
breed freely with either species.

A pair of these birds was received by Lord Tweedmouth
(then Sir Dudley Marjoribanks) from Pekin in 1870, and turned
out at Guisachen, Inverness-shire, where the breed was suc-
cessfully maintained for some years, fresh blood being sub-
sequently introduced by the acquisition of four additional
male birds. Lord Ravensworth makes the following remarks
on the habits of this species as observed by Lord Tweedmouth
in Inverness-shire :— " The Bar-tail is a true Pheasant, well able
to take care of himself in any climate, at any altitude, and is
more easily reared than the common species. He is very shy
and wild, difficult to approach, and takes to his legs long
before other Pheasants are conscious of any danger. His
flight is prodigiously rapid and straight, and he will travel
thirty miles on end, which, of course, is an objectionable
practice, except in such extensive forest grounds as the high-
lands of Scotland present. These Pheasants travel in troops
of fifteen or twenty, and present a grand and bewildering effect
when they rise in such a company. Any attempt to walk up to
them in brush covert is utterly hopeless, for they are exceed
ingly vigilant and go straight off like a dart, not more than
six feet from the ground, far out of reach.

THE BARRED-PACKED PHEASANTS. 4 I

"A fight between two old cocks is a beautiful exhibition of
activity and spirit. They sj)ring up five or six feet in the air
before striking, and s ich is their agility, that the bird assailed
hardly ever allows himself to be struck ; so much the better
for him, for it will be observed that the legs are garnished with
spurs as long and sharp as those of a game-ccck.

"The last peculiarity of this species worth naming is that
when they set out on a jaunt, they make for the highest point
within range, whereas the Common Pheasant is accustomed to
travel downwards along the course of the valleys."

Hybrids between Reeves's and the Golden Pheasant have
been bred in confinement, and the males are remarkably hand-
some birds, having the general plumage reddish-brown,

THE BARRED-BACKED PHEASANTS. GENUS
CALOPHASIS.

Calophasis^ Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. text to pi. xiii. his
{1872).

Type, C. ellioti (Swinhoe).
Characters similar to those given for the genus Phasianus,
but distinguished by having only sixteen tail-feathers, and by
the males having the lower back and rump transversely barred
with black and white.

Only two species are at present known.

I. ELLIOT'S PHEASANT, CALOPHASIS ELLIOTI.

Fhasianus ellioti, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 550; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 335 (1893).

Calophasis ellioti, Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. xiii. liis
(1872); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 23 (1874).

Adult Male. — Mantle, shoulder-feathers, w^ing^ chest, and
breast fiery bro?ize-red, shot with gold ; a white band down
each side of the mantle ; a l)a?id of dark purplish-steel across
the lesser wing-coverts, and tivo ivhite bands across the wings

42 Allen's naturalist's library.

formed by the white ends of the greater wing-coverts and
secondaries ; throat and fore-neck black ; sides of the neck
and belly white; lower back and rump black, barred with white;
tail broadly barred with whitish-grey and chestnut. Total
length, 32-5 inches; wing, 8-8; tail, 19; tarsus, 2*8.

Adult Female. — General colour of the plumage pale-drab,
barred, mottled, and marked with black on the upper-parts and
spotted on the breast ; belly mostly white, flanks margined
with white; back and sides of neck uniform greyish-drab,
throat a7id fore-neck black ; outer tail-feathers mostly chestnut
with black and white tips. Total length, 20 inches ; wing, 8 ;
tail, 77 ; tarsus, 2-5.

Range. — Mountains of South-eastern China.

HaMts. — This truly niagnificent Pheasant was first discovered
by Swinhoe, in the mountains at the back of Ningpo, in the
province of Che-Kiang. Subsequently it was met with by Abbe
David in Western Fo-kien, where, like the Silver Pheasant, it
lives in the wooded mountains, and is far from common,
being constantly on the move from place to place, and some-
times remaining .iway for whole years without revisiting its
original habitat.

Eggs. (Laid in confinement.) — Creamy-buff; shell smooth
and fine. Average measurements, 17 by 1-3 inch.

II. MRS. Hume's pheasant, calophasis humi^e.
Callophasis htiniice, Hume, Stray Feathers, ix. p. 461 (1880) ;

Godwin-Austen, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 715, pi. 51 ; Hume, Str.

F.xi. p. 302 (1888).
Phasianus huniice, W. L. Sclater, Ibis, 1891, p. 152; Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 335 (1893).

Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from C. cllioii in having the neck,
upper mantle, and chest glossed with purplish steel-blue^ like the
band across the lesser wing-coverts, but darker ; the breast-
feathers chestnut, with steel ^loss andfer^' orange-red -niai-gins ;

THE BARRED-DACKED PHEASANTS. 43

the belly and flanks chestnut; the middle tail-feathers grey, with
wide irregular mixed ba7-s of chestnut and black, the following
pairs barred with black, and the outermost pairs mostly blacky
greyish at tl e base. Total length, 33-5 inches ; wing, 8*5 ; tail,
20'6 ; tarsus, 2-5.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from that of C, ellioti in having
the throat and fore-neck devoid of black.

Range. — Lushni, Manipur, and Chin Hills ; recently obtained
near the Ruby Mines in Burma.

Space unfortunately does not permit of my giving in full Mr.
A. O. Hume's excellent account [Stray Feathers, xi. pp. 461-
467 (1880)] of how he obtained the first known examples of
this beautiful Pheasant. The Manipur envoy, who acted as his
guide during his travels in the Maharaja's territories, was the
proud possessor of a plume of feathers which he was entitled
to wear as a mark of rank. Mr. Hume's experienced eye in-
stantly detected among this coveted decoration the tail-feathers
of a Pheasant with which he was unacquainted, and after endless
enquiries he ascertained that the bird was an inhabitant of the
pathless hill jungles of Eastern Lushai and the southern border
of Manipur, which had for long been subject to the ravages of the
Kamhows, a fierce tribe, who invariably killed everyone thev
came across. Only one Manipuri of the many questioned had
once seen this bird alive in the Jhiri Valley near the Lushai
border ; to the Maharaja and others it was only known from
the tail-feathers which filtered into Manipur through the agency
of Kamhow refugees in Manipur. After much trouble, his
Manipur guide obtained the services of a party of these Kam-
how refugees, who had taken up their abode on the southern
borders of the Manipur territory, and in the Eastern Lushai
country, and by threatening to shoot the men of this party if
they did not return with some of the Pheasants in a short time
entire specimens were at last obtained. Mr. Hume goes on
to say, " Sure enough, within the week they returned with one

44 ALLEN S NATURALIST S LIBRARY.

beautiful fresh skin and one perfectly uninjured bird in a cage,
both unfortunately males. According to their account, the first
day they began trapping they were scented (by their quon-
dam compatriots), their scouts driven in, and they had to fly.
This was probably true, because as they were to be paid a
large sum per bird, once they were on the ground, they would
assuredly not have contented themselves with securing only
two. . . .

" The live bird, though a full-grown cock, became perfectly
tame in a few days, and was a great favourite in camp. It
would eat bread, boiled rice, winged white ants, moths, taking
them gingerly out of our hands. At last I thought I really had
a prize for the Zoo, something worth sending. Alas, the last
day I was in the Eastern Hills, about the middle of the night,
the huts in which my servants were, and in which was also my
poor Pheasant, suddenly caught fire. . . .

"According to the accounts of my savages, these birds live
in dense hill forests at elevations of from 2,500 feet to fully
5,000 feet. They prefer the neighbourhood of streams, and
are neither rare nor shy. They extend right through the Kam-
how territory into Eastern Lushai and North-west Independent
Burmah."

Nest and Eggs. — Unknown.

THE GOLDEN PHEASANTS. GENUS CHRYSOLOPHUS.
Thaumaka, Wagler {nee Ruthe, Diptera, 183 1), Isis, 1832, p.

1227.
Chryso/op/ms, J. E. Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. 41, fig. 2 (1833-4).
Type, C. pietus {L\nn.).

Tail long and vaulted, composed of eighteen feathers, the
middle pair being very long, more than four times as long as
the short outermost pair.

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the second,
which is somewhat shorter than the tenth • fifth slightly the
longest,

TIIK GOLDEN PHEASANTS- 45

Male with a full long crest of hairy feathers, and a cape-like
development of erectile feathers. Tarsi armed with a pair of
short spurs.

Only two species are known. ^

I. THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. CHRYSOLOPHUS PICTUS.

P'lasiafius piciiis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 272 (1766); Hayes, Ostcrl.

Menag. p. 5, pis. 5 and 6 (1794).
2'haiiniakapkta,\\^.^QX^\?>\s, 1832, p. 1228; Gould, B.Asia, vii.

pi. 19 (1866); Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. xv. (1872).
Chrysolophus pictus, J. E. Oray, 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. 41, fig. 2

(1834); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 339

(1893).

{Plate XXIV.)

Adult Male. — Top of the head, crest, and rump brilliant golden-
yelloiv; square-tipped cape-like feathers covering the back of the
neck brilliant o?'ange, tipped and banded with black glossed
with steel-blue ; throat and sides of the head pale rust-colour;
shoulder-feathers and rest of under-parts crimson-scarlet, and
middle pair of tail-feathers black, with roujided spots of pale
brown. Total length about 40 inches; wing, 77; tail, 27;
tarsus, 2-8.

Adult Female. — Head and mantle brown, barred with black
and buff, and mixed with rufous ; lower back and rump pale
brown, finely mottled with black; throat pale buff; sides of
head and rest of under-parts buff, barred with brownish-black
except on the middle of the belly. Total length, 24 inches ;
wing, 7 ; tail, 14; tarsus, 2*4.

Range.— The mountains of Southern and Western China,
extending into Koko-nor.

Hybrids. — The Golden Pheasant crosses freely with the Lady

* In C. pjctiis the parts surrounding the eye are entirely feathered ; in
C. <a;w//tvvf/^s they are naked, but the two species arc in all other respects
so closely allied that they cannot be separated generically.

4'J ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Amherst's Pheasant, and the male hybrid is art extremely
handsome bird [see ElHot, Monogr, Phasian; ii. pi. xvii. (1872)].

Hybrids have also been produced between this species and
the domestic Fowl (Bantam) ; the Common Pheasant (P. col-
chicus) \ and Reeves's Pheasant (/*. reevesi) ; the last being a
large, handsome bird, with almost the entire plumage dull pur-
plish Indian-red.

Eggs. (Laid in confinement.) — Pale creamy-buff; shell
rather fine, smooth, and glossy. Average measurements, 175
by 1-35 inch.
SUB-SP. a. schlegel's golden pheasant, chrysolophus

OBSCURUS.

Phasianus pidus obscurus, Schl. Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. ii. p. 152

(1865).
Thaunialea obscnra^ Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. xvi. (1872).
Chrysolophus ohscurus^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

341 (1893)-

It is extremely doubtful whether this bird has any right
to even sub-specific rank. Probably it is merely a domestic
variety of the Golden Pheasant, having never been obtained, so
far as I am aware, in a wild state.

Adult Male.— Differs from C. pidus in having the sides of the
head, chin, and throat browjiish-bladz, the shoulder-feathers
similarly coloured^ but slightly tinged with red, the outer webs
of the flight-feathers devoid of buff margins, and the middle pair
of tail-feathers pale brozvn, obliquely barred a?id marked with
black like the second pair.

Adult Female. — Said to differ from the female of C. pidus
in being generally darker in plumage, especially on the sides
of the head and throat. I have never examined a female ex-
ample of this bird.

IL lady AMHERST'S PHEASANT. CHRYSOLOPHUS AMHERSrLE.

Phasianus amherstice, Leadb. Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 129, pi. 15
(1828).

THE JUNGLE-FOWL. 47

Thiumaha amliersiice, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1228; Sclater, List
of rhas. p. 5, pi. 3 (1863); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 20
(1866) ; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. p. xx. pi. xiv. (1872).
Chrysolophus amhcrsticc^ G. R. Gray, List. Gallinai. Brit. Mus. p.
30 (1867); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 342
(1893).
Adult Male. — Top of the head dark bronze green ; long occipi-
tal crest blood-?-ed ; cape like feathers covering the back of the
neck pure ivhite^ margined and barred with black glossed with
steel-blue ; shoulder-feathers, mantle, and chest dark-green ;
rump-feathers black, broadly tipped with yellowish-buff; throat
and fore-neck bj'oivnish-black with some dark greenish gloss ;
rest of under-parts /;/r^ white barred with black on the flanks;
middle pair of tail-feathers white, with arched black bars on
both webs and wavy black lines across the interspaces. Naked
skin round eye blue. Total length, 50 inches; wing, 8*2;
tail, 2i^ ; tarsus, 3*i.

Adult Female.— Similar to the female of C. pictus, but there is
a naked blue space round the eye as in the male.

Rang3. — The mountains of Western China and Eastern
Tibet.

Eggs. (Laid in confinement.) — Short stout ovals, pale buff'
shell smooth, fine, and rather glossy. Average measurements,
1*8 by 1*4 inch.

THE JUNGLE-FOWL. GENUS GALLUS.

Galliis, Linn. Faun. Suecica, p. 61 (1746) ; Temm. Pig. et
Gall. ii. p. 87 (1813).

Type, Gallus gallus (Linn.).
Tail composed oi fourteen or sixteen (in G. varius) feathers^
laterally compressed and curved downwards, the middle pair (in
the males) being much the longest, about twice as long as thf*
second pair and nearly four times as long as the outer pair.

4S Allen's naturalist's library'.

First primary flight-feather considerably shorter than the:
tenth ; the fifth slightly the longest.

In the males a high comb extends along the middle of the
head from the base of the bill to behind the eyes, the margin
being serrated or entire; the sides of the face, chin, and throat
are naked, either with two pairs of wattles situated below the
ears and on each side of the throat, or with a single wattle (in G.
varius)* down the middle of the throat ; and the tarsi are
armed with long, sharp, curved spurs.

In the females the comb is rudinentary, the wattles absent,
the middle tail-feathers are not elongate, and spurs are not de-
veloped on the feet.

I. THE RED JUNGLE-FOWL. GALLUS GALLUS.

Phasiamis galliis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 270 (1766).

Tetrao ferrugmcus^ Gmel. S. N. i. p. 761 (1788).

Gallus ba?ikiva, Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 87 (18 13), iii. p. 654

(i8iS)-
Gallus ferrugineus^ Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 32 (1872);

Hume and Marshall, Game Birds Ind. i. p. 217, cum tab.

(1878); Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii.

p. 417 (1890); Tegetmeier, Ibis, 1890, p. 304 [Domestic

Breeds].
Galhis gallus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. E. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 344

(1893).

Adult Male. — Long hackles covering the mantle and rump
orange-red or yellowish-orange ;\ breast black, slightly glossed
with green.

In June the hackles and long tail-feathers are moulted both
in this and in the following species, and the former are replaced

* The Javan Jungle-Fowl {Gallus varius) differs, as noted above, from
the other species in having sixteen tail-feathers and a single wattle down
the middle of the throat, but, in all other respects, it is a typical Gallus and
cannot be considered generically distinct.

t There is considerable variation in the colours of the hackles coverin<T
the mantle and rump and other parts of the plumage in different specimens,
but these diflerences appear to be merely individual, and are not dependent
on locality.

THE JUNGI.E-FOWL. 49

by short black feathers. A second moult takes place in Sep-
tember, and the short feathers of the neck are again replaced
by hackles and the long tail-feathers reappear. Total length,
29 inches; wing, 9-5 ; tail, 14; tarsus, 31.

Adult Female. —Top of the head rust-red shading into orange
on the neck and pale yellow on the mantle, each feather with
a black stripe down the middle ; rest of upper-parts reddish-
brown finely mottled with black ; secondary quiils mottled
with pale reddish-brown towards the edges of the outer webs ;
fore-neck chestnut ; rest of under-parts pale light red, browner
on the belly and flanks. Total length, 16-5 inches ; wing, 7*5 ;
tail, 5-5; tarsus, 2-4.

Range. — The jungles of North-eastern and parts of Central
India, extending south through the Malay Peninsula to
Sumatra and east through Siam to Cochin China. It is also
met with in a wild state in Java, Lombock, Celebes, Palawan,
the Philippines, Hainan, and other islands, but it seems more
than probable that it has been imported at some time or other
to all these islands, and that they do not form part of its natural
range. It is well known that domestic fowls allowed to escape
and run wild in surroundings similar to their original habitat
soon revert to the wild type, and become indistinguishable
from typical examples of the Indian Red Jungle-Fowl.

All the domestic breeds of poultry are said to have been
originally derived from the Red Jungle- Fowl. Some domestic
varieties are truly wonderful, not the least so being the Japanese
form, in which the hackles covering the tail of the males grow to
a length of many feet (as many as fifteen !). Two fine examples
of this variety are exhibited in the Central Hall of the Natural
History Museum, and are well worth seeing. Equally curious
are the black tailless fowls from Holland, a pair of which are
shown in the same case.

Habits.— Mr. A. O. Hume, in his "Game Birds of India,"
writes : " The Red Jungle-Fowl is, as the latter portion of its

E

50 Allen's naturalist s library.

name imports, a true denizen of the jungle, and most especially
of jungle in the vicinity of scattered cultivation, at or near the
bases of hills, which keep it comparatively well-watered through-
out the year.

" It is entirely wanting in the dry, level, alluvial plains, and
semi-deserts of Upper India, and even in better-watered locali-
ties is absent from the more richly cultivated tracts, and only
straggles into cultivation which is in the neighbourhood of
jungle. . . . Vertically, this species ranges from sea-level
to 5,000 feet elevation, but, like many other species, it is
generally to be found lower down in the cold season, and
is rarely to be met with above 3,000 feet, except during the
hot season. * . ." Jerdon says : " The Jungle- Fowl is very
partial to bamboo jungle, but is found as well in lofty forests
and in dense thickets. When cultivated land is near their
haunts, they may, during the harvest-season, and after the
grain is cut, be seen, morning and evening, in the fields, often
in straggling parties of ten to twenty. Their crow, which they
give utterance to, morning and evening, all the year round, but
especially at the pairing-season, is quite like that of a Bantam
Cock, but shorter and never prolonged as in our domestic
cocks.

" When detached clumps of jungle or small hills occur in
a jungly district where these fowls abound, very pretty shooting
can be had by driving them by means of dogs and beaters ;
and in travelling through a forest country, many will always be
found near the roads, to which they resort to pick up grain
from the droppings of cattle, &c. Dogs will often put them up,
when they at once fly on to the nearest trees. Young birds, if
kept for a few days, are very excellent eating, having a consider-
able game flavour."

Colonel Tickell remarks: — "There is no bird more difficult to
approach, or even to see, when in the jungle. The cocks may
be heard of a morning or evening crowing all round, but the
utmost precaution will not, in most cases, e.iuble the sports-

THE JUNGLE- FOWL. 5I

man to creep within shot or sight of ihe bird. The hen, too,
announces the important fact of having laid an egg with the
same vociferation as in the domestic state, but is silent ere the
stealthiest footstep can approach her hiding-place, and, gliding
with stealthy feet under the dense foliage, is soon far away in
the deep recesses of the jungle. To a stranger it is not a little
curious to hear the familiar sounds of our farmyards issuing
from the depths of the wild forest. . . ."

Mr. A. O. Hume remarks :— "To a certain extent the
Jungle-Fowl is omnivorous, and ivi/l eat not only grass and
young shoots and tlower-buds and seeds and grain of all kinds,
but worms and grasshoppers and beetles and small land shells,
but they are preferentially graminivorous, and I have examined
scores which had eaten absolutely nothing but grain.

" In the autumn, after the millet-fields have ripened, they
grow very fat on this grain, and the birds of the year are then
really good eating, but as a rule the birds one kills (be it
confessed with shame, for it ought to be a close season), from
March to June, when tiger-shooting in the tarai, when, the day's
sport over, one turns homeward towards the tents, are no whit
better than ordinary village fowls. . . .

"No one specially notices the extreme pugnacity of these
birds in the wild state, or the fact that, where they are numerous,
they select regular fighting-grounds, much like the Ruffs.

" Going through the forest of the Siwaliks in the north-
eastern portion of the Saharanpur district, I chanced one after-
noon, late in March, on a tiny open grassy knoll, perhaps ten
yards in diameter and a yard in height. It was covered with
close turf, scratched in many places into holes, and covered over
with Jungle-Fowl feathers to such an extent that I thought
some Bonelli's Eagle, a great enemy of this species, must have
caught and devoured one. Whilst I was looking round, one of
my dogs brought me froni somewhere in the jungle round a
freshly-killed Jungle-Cock, in splendid plumage, but with the
base of the skull on one side pierced by what I at once con-

E 2

52 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

eluded must have been the spur of another cock. I put up for
the day at a Bunjara Perow, some two miles distant, and, on
speaking to the men, found that they knew the place well, and
one of them said that he had repeatedly watched the cocks fight-
ing there, and that he would take me to a tree close by whence I
could see it for myself. Long before daylight he guided me to
the tree, telling me to climb to the fourth fork, whence, quite
concealed, I could look down on the mound. When I got up,
it was too dark to see anything, but a glimmer of dawn soon
stole into the eastern sky, which I faced ; soon after, crowing
began all round ; then I made out the mound dimly, perhaps
thirty yards from the base of the tree and forty from my perch ;
then it got quite light, and in a few minutes later a Jungle-
Cock ran out on to the top of the mound and crowed (for a
wild bird) vociferously, clapping his wings and strutting round
and round, with his tail raised almost like that of a domestic
fowl. . . I learnt so much and no more ; there was a rush,
a yelp, the Jungle-Cock had vanished, and I found that one of
my wretched dogs had got loose, tracked me, and was now
careering wildly about the foot of the tree.

" Next day I tried again, but without success. I suppose the
birds about had been too much scared by the dog, and I had
to leave the place without seeing a fight there ; but, putting all
the facts together, I had not the smallest doubt that this was
the real fighting arena, and that as the Bunjara averred, many
of the mnumerable cocks in the neighbourhood did systematic-
ally do combat there."

Captain Hutton says : — " I have often reared the chicks
under a domestic hen, and turned them loose; but, after stay-
ing about the house for several days, they always eventually
betook themselves to the jungles and disappeared. If kept
confined with other fowls, however, they readily interbreed,
and the broods will then remain quiet under domestication,
and always exhibit, both in plumage and manner, much more of
the wild than of the lame stock, prefeiring at night to roost on

THE JUNGLF. I-OWL.

5S

the branches of trees. Mr. Blyth has reir.arked that his cross-
bred eggs never produced chicks, but I have never found
any difficulty in this respect. The crowing of the cock-birds
is very shrill, and like that of the Frizzled IJantams. In the
wild state it is monogamous."

Mr. Hume remarks again :— " I do not agree with Hutton
that they are always monogamous, because I have constantly
found several hens in company with a single cock, but I have
also repeatedly shot pairs without finding a single other hen in
the neighbourhood ; and if you have good dogs (and you can
do nothing in jungle with either these or Pheasants zu/Z/iouf
dogs) you are sure to see and /lear, even if you get no shot at
them, all the birds there are."

Nest.— Generally a shallow hole scraped out of a heap of
dead leaves in any dense thicket, from almost sea-level up to
5,000 feet. The period of incubation varies from January to
July, according to locality, being earlier farther south.

Eggs.— Usually five or six in number, though as many as
nine eggs are sometimes found, and Major Wardlaw Ramsay
took a nest in Karen-nee containing eleven eggs.

Typically like miniature hen's eggs, but varying much in
size and shape; generally pale yellowish-brown, but occasion-
ally reddish-brown. Average measurements, 178 by 1-36
inch.

II. THE CEYLON JUNGLE-FOWL. GALLUS LAFAYETTI.

Ga//us lafayetii, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 491 (1831).

Galliis stanleyi, J. E. Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. i. pi. 43, fig. i.
(1830-32); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds 'ind^ i
pi. (1878).

Galliis lafayetii, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. pi. 18 (1849); EHiot,
Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. '7^2> (1872); Legge, B. Ceylon,'
in. p. 736, cum tab. (1880); Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and
Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 442 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 348 (1893;.

54 Allen's naturalist's library.

Adult Male. — Hackles covering the mantle gohk?i-orange, with
a black band down the middle, those of the lower back and
rump bright orange-red, with a heart-shaped spot of glossy violet
on the terminal half of each ; chest, breast, and sides, like the
lower mantle, orange-red, with a dark maroon stripe down the
middle ; belly black, mottled with chestnut. Total length, 30
inches ; w^ing, 9 ; tail, 1 1 ; tarsus, 3.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the female of G. gallus in
having the secondary quills black and chestnut, irregularly
barred with buff ; the chest and sides mottled wuth black
and buff, and with whitish centres ; the breast white, frifiged
and marked with black. Total length, 17 inches; wing, 7-5;
tail, 4'9 ; tarsus, 2 '4.

Range. — Ceylon.

Habits. — Colonel Vincent Legge, the well-known author of
"The Birds of Ceylon," writes as follows: — "The Ceylon
Jungle-Fowl inhabits, in abundance, the greater part of the
island. In the low country, it is located in the greatest
numbers in the northern, eastern, and south-eastern divisions,
which, covered with jungle and possessed of a dry climate, are
specially suitable to the habits of the birds. . . .

"The cock-birds are, as is the case with other species, most
pugnacious, and pass their time in the mornings and evenings
in giving out their well-known challenge-call, ' Cluk George
Joyce^ accompanied with the usual galline flap of the wings.
By using a pocket-handkerchief doubled up into a ball, placed
in the palm of the hand, and struck with the other, this sound
can be fairly imitated; and if the sportsman be out of sight,
w^ell concealed in a hollow in the ground, or behind a huge
log or stump, the cocks can be enticed near enough to be
shot ; they are so shy, however, that if the least sound be
made other than this flapping, they turn round and disappear
at once into the thicket. The natives produce the required
sound by striking the thigh with the open hand, slightly

PLATE XXV

GREY JUNGLE FOWL.

THE juNfn.E-rowr,. ^^

curved; and both Cingalese and Tamils shoot the Jungle-
Fowl for the market by thus decoying them.

" While challenging each other, the males often wander
close to paths and tracks through the jungle, and still keep up
their call, although people may be passing, and laughing and
shouting going on ; but directly you strike off the road to
stalk them, the sound of footsteps puts an end to the Geori:^e
Joyce, and the pugnacious bird may be heard rapidly beating a
retreat over the fallen leaves.

" At night they roost on trees, but do not choose very high
branches, generally seating themselves across a moderately
elevated horizontal limb, and, when going to rest, they utter a
clucking note very different to the ordina.ry call.

" The hens are seldom seen near the cocks, and are very
shy ; they may be sometimes surprised in the early morning
scratching by the sides of the roads with their young brood, but
on the whole are much more seldom observed than the othersex."

Nest. — Similar and similarly situated to that of the Red
Jungle-Fowl. The period of incubation ranges from January
to August.

Eggs. — Two to four in number. Like those of the Red
Jungle-Fowl, but minutely speckled all over with brownish-
red, often with a few somewhat larger spots about the more
obtuse end. Average measurements, 171 by i"3o inch.

III. THE GREY JUNGLE-FOWL. GALLUS SONNERATL

Gallus sonncrati, Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 246 (1813) ; iii. p.
659 (1815); Temm. PI. Col. v. pis. i and 2 [Nos. 232,
233] (1823); Elliot, Moncgr. Phasian. ii.pl. 34(1872);
Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 56 (1877), Hume and Marshall,
Game Birds Ind. i. p. 231, pi. (1878) ; Gates, ed. Hume's
Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 420 (1890); Ogilvic-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 350 (1893).

Fhasianus indicus^ Leach, Zool. Misc. ii. p. 6, pi. 61 (18 15).
{Plate XXV.)

56 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Adult Male.— Hackles covering the back of the neck and
mantle black, fringed with grey^ and with a yelloivish spot like
sealing ivax at the extremity ; a patch of wing-coverts similarly
marked, but the wax-like spots longer and orange-chestnut;
hackles on sides of rump similarly ornamented, but fringed
with reddish-orange ; lower back and under-parts black, glossed
with purple, and edged with grey, and with narrow white shaft
stripes. Total length, 28 inches; wing, 9; tail, 16-5 : tarsus.

Adult Female. — Most like the female of G. lafayetti, the breast-
feathers being white, fringed and marked with black, but the
outer w^ebs of the secondary quills yf//<7v ?nottled y;\\h s.indy-
brown and black, and the breast-feathers devoid of the thick
black cross-bars. Total length, 16-5 inches; wing, 8-o ; tail,
5"2 ; tarsus, 27.

Range.— Western, Southern, and Central India, bounded on
the north-east by the valley of the Godaveri, and on the north-
west by the Aravalli Hills.

Habits. — Like their northern congeners, these are eminently
birds of jungly and hilly or broken ground, and are not to be
found at any distance from these in level, thoroughly cultivated,
tracts; but throughout all the hilly tracts within the limits
indicated, the entire range of the Western Ghats, the Satpuras,
and all their southern ramifications, the Nilgiris, Pulneys,
Anamallis, Shervaroys, and the like, they occur, and, where
not persecuted, in great abundance, from near sea-level to at
least 5,500 feet elevation. Indeed, individuals may be met
with up to fully 7,000 feet, as on the higher slopes of Doda-
betta. {Hiune.)

The late Mr. W. R. Davison writes :—'• Unlike the Red
Jungle-Fowl, this species is not gregarious, and though occasion-
ally one meets with small coveys, these always consist of only
one or two adults, the rest being more or less immature. As
a rule, they are met with singly or in pairs. The crow of the

THE JUNGI-E-FOV,'L. 57

male is very peculiar, and might be syllabled ' Kuck-Kaya-
Kya-Kuck^ ending with a low double syllable, like ' Kyu-
ku)i, Kyukun^' repeated slowly, and very softly, so that it can-
not be heard except when one is very close to the bird. Only
the males crow, and that normally only in the mornings and
evenings, though occasionally they crow at intervals during the
day when the weather is cloudy. The crow is very easily
imitated, and with a little practice the wild birds may be readily
induced to "answer.

" They do not, however, crow the whole year through, but
only from October to May, when they are in full plumage.

" When flushed by a dog in the jungle, they flutter up into
some tree above with a peculiar cackle, a ' Kuck-kuck-kuck,
which, however, they only continue till they alight.

" They come into the open in the mornings and evenings,
retiring to cover during the heat of the day, unless the weather
is cloudy, when they may be met with in the open throughout
the day.

"Though found in evergreen forests, they seem to prefer
moderately thin and bamboo jungle.

'• Ordinarily, as already remarked, they are found scattered ;
but when a tract of bamboo comes into seed, or any other
particular food is locally abundant, they collect there in vast
numbers, dispersing again as soon as the food is con-
sumed. . .

" In some wa) s they are not very shy ; by taking an early
stroll, even without a dog, along some quiet road by which
cattle and grain pass, several can always be obtained, but when
they have been at all disturbed and shot at, they become very
wary, and even with a dog, before which they ordinarily perch at
once, they are very difficult to secure. In such cases, they run
till they think they are out of shot, and then rise, and instead
of perching, take a long flight, often of many hundred yards,
and when they do alight, commence running again. . .

'• The best time to shoot the Jungle-Cock is from October

58 Allen's naturalist's library.

to the end of May, as then his hackles are in the best
condition.

'' In June the moult begins, and the male gradually drops
his hackles and long tail-feathers, the hackles being replaced
by short feathers as in the female ; during the rains the male is
a poor mean-looking object, not in the least like his hand-
some self in the cold weather, and, fully conscious of this fact,
he religiously holds his tongue during this period.

" In September, a second moult takes place ; the short
feathers of the neck are again replaced by the hackles, the long
tail-feathers reappear, and by October the moult is complete,
and our Southern Chanticleer as noisy as ever.

" The male usually carries his tail low, and when running, he
does so with the tail lowered still more, the neck outstretched,
and the whole body in a crouching position, as in the
Pheasants.

" I do not know for certain whether the species is poly-
gamous or monogamous, but from what I have observed I
should think the latter ; for although the male does not, I
believe, assist in incubation, yet when the chicks are hatched,
he is often to be found in company with his mate and little
ones.

" These birds are, I believe, quite untamable, even when
reared from the egg, and though in the latter case they may
not be so wild as those captured in maturity, they never take
kindly to domestic life, and avail themselves of the first
opportunity for escaping. It is needless to say that they can-
not easily be induced to breed in captivity. I have known the
experiment tried time after time unsuccessfully."

Nest. — Like that of the Red Jungle-Fowl. The period of
incubation appears to vary much in different localities, eggs
having been found from October to June.

Eggs. — Vary much in shape and colour, the extreme types
being a long oval with fine shell, and a broad oval conspicuously

PLATE X.

^^<-t^ ^

JAVAN JUNGLE -FOWL.

tllli JUNHLK-FOWL. 59

pitted all over with pores. The colour varies from pale

creamy-white to rich brownish-buff. Every intermediate form

between these two types can be found. Average measure-
ments, 1*84 by 1*38 inch.

IV. THE JAVAN JUNGLE-FOWL. GALLUS VARIUS.

r/iasianus van'ies, Shaw and Nodder, Nat. Misc. x. pi. 353.
Gallus varius, I^Uiot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 35 (1872);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 352 (1893).
Gallus furcaius^ Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 261 (1813); iii. p. 662

(1815) ; id., PI. Col. V. pi. iv. [No. 483] (1829) ; J. E. Gray,

111. Ind. Zool. i. pi. 43, fig. 2 (1830-32).
Gallus java?uais, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 185 (1822).
[Plate XXVI.)

Adult Male. — Easily recognised from the three species pre-
viously mentioned by having the luargin of the comb entire^
and a smgle wattle down the middle of the throat. Back of
the neck and upper mantle covered with short square-tipped
feathers^ purplish-blue, edged with greenish-bronze ; lower
mantle golden-green, shot with blue, shading into violet-bronze
towards the tips and all the feathers margined with black ;
hackles of the lower back long and black, narrowly margined
with yellow ; lesser and median wing-coverts elongate, orange-
red, with a broad black stripe down the middle ; under-parts
black. Total length, 28 inches ; wing, 9 ; tail, ii'5 ; tarsus_, 2*9.

Adult Female. — Neck and upper mantle sandy-brown, the
feathers of the latter wdth sub-marginal blackish bands and
dusky centres ; rest of upper-parts blacky slightly glossed with
green, and irregularly barred and margined with buff ; throat
white; underpartsbuff, with dark margins to the chest-feathers
and mottlings on the flanks. Total length, 15 "3 inches; wing,
77; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, 2*3.

Range. — Java, Lombock, and Flores. It is also said to have

Co ALLEN S naturalist's LIDRARY.

been obtained wild near Singapore, but no doubt had bc-n
imported.

Among the doubtfully distinct species of Jungle-Fowl is a
bird which has been named Gallus ccneus [Temm. PI. Col. v.
pi. 3 [No. 374] (1825)]. The type, which is preserved in the
Paris Museum, was obtained in Sumatra, and it is just possible
that it may prove to be a distinct species, but at present it is
believed by most ornithologists to be merely a hybrid between
the Domestic Fowl and the Javan Jungle-Fowl.

Another hybrid bird about which there can be very little
djubt has been named and figured by G. R. Gray under the
name Gallus temininckii i^. Z. S. 1849, p. 62, pi. vii.). The
type of this bird is in the British Museum, and is said to have
come from Batavia. In the opinion of the writer, it is a hybrid
between the Red and Javan Jungle-Fowls, and clearly exhibits
the characters of both parents. The comb is toothed, and in
addition to the large median throat wattle, there is a small
lateral pair. Gallus violaceus^ Kelsall (J. As. Soc. Str. Br. No.
xxiv. p. 167 (1891) and No. xxv. p. 173) is also in all proba-
bility a hybrid between the above species. The type, supposed
to have come from Borneo, was living in the Botanic Gardens
at Singapore. The bird from the Sulu Islands has been named
Gallus stramijieicollis by Dr. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1879, p. 317), but
it is probably only the offspring of a domestic variety run
wild.

THE PEACOCK-PHEASANTS. GENUS POLYPLECTRON.

Polyplectron^ Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 363 (18 13).

Type, P. chinquis (Miill.).

Tail composed of iiventy to iiventy-four feathers, large, full,

and rounded, the middle pair being about twice as long as the

outer pair, and each ornamented with one or a pair of metallic

ocelli^ which are rudimentary or absent in the females of some

species.

PLATE XXVn.

Wr"**

CfREY PEACOCK-PHEASANT.

THE rEACOCK-PHFASANTS. 6 I

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the second,
which IS shorter than the tenth ; sixth rather the longest.

Sides of the face naked, or very nearly so.

The male is generally armed with two, and sometimes three
spurs on each leg. Sexes different in plumage.

I. THE GREY PEACOCK-PHEASANT. POLYPLECTRON CHINQUIS.

Pavo chinquis, Miill. Linn. S. N. Suppl. p. T2I (1776).

Pavo tibeianus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 731 (1788).

Polypkctron cii7iqitis, Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 363 (1813), iii.
p. 675 (1815) [part]; id. PI. Col. v. pi. 17 [No. 539]
(1831) ; Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 50 (1871) ; Sclater,
P. Z. S. 1879, pi. viii. fig. 2; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.
Mus. xxii. p. 354 (1893).

Polyplectron tibetanum, Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 6 (1872) ;
Hume and Marshall, Game Birds Ind. i. p. 105, pi. (1878).

Polyplectron atelospilum, P. cyclospiluni, P. e?iicospilitm, G. R.
Gray, List Gall. Brit. Mus. pp. 23, 24 (1867).

Polyplectron hele?i(B, Gates, Ibis, 1883, p. 136, pi. v. (imma-
ture).

(Plale XXVII.)

Adult Male. — Upper parts mostly brown, dotted with dirty
white ; near the tip of most of the feathers a large round eye
of metallic green and violet, changing to purple and blue, and
edged with successive rings of black, brown, and dirty white;
longer upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers, with divided pairs
of large oval ocelli, one on each side of the shaft, entirely green
in one light and purple in the other ; throat white; rest of
under-parts brown with irregular dotted and mottled bars of
dirty white ; naked skin on side of face pale fleshy-yellow.
Total length, 25-5 inches; wing, 8*4; tail, 13*2 ; tarsus, 3.

Adult Female. — Upper-parts brozvn, mottled with pale browfi.
Differs from the male chiefly in having the ocelli on the
upper-parts '"epresented by black spots, with some violet and
purple gloss; the ocelli on the longer upper tail-coverts

62 Allen's naturalist's library.

absejif^ and only obscurely represented on both ivehs of the
outer pairs of tail-feathers^ those on the middle pairs being
rudimentary, and represented by undefined black spots.
Total length, 19 inches ; wing, yi ; tail, 8 ; tarsus, 2-4.

Range. — Indo-Chinese countries, extending in the north-
west to Sikhim, eastwards to the Laos country, and south-
wards through Tenasserim as far as Mergui.

Mr. A. O. Hume writes : — " This species occurs at very
varying elevations. I have received it from places in Cachar
and Sylhet, and from the base of Nwalabo in Tenasserim,
from localities little above sea-level, while, again, Davison
obtained it almost at the summit of Mooleyit, at quite 6,000
feet elevation. But though it occurs right down on the
plains, it is so far a hill-Pheasant that it chiefly affects hills
and their immediate neighbourhcod, and is never found in
any considerable numbers at any great distance from these."

Mr. R. A. Clark gives the following information: — "The
Peacock-Pheasant is very common in North-eastern Cachar,
where it is found in dense bamboo jungle, on the sides
of ravines, and on the tops of the low ranges of hills where-
ever there are Jdmun trees, as well as on the banks of the
river ' Barak,' wherever it is well-wooded. On the rocky
faces of the ' Barak ' banks there is a tree which, during the
rainy season, is partially submerged, but in the cold weather
bears a fruit with seeds like those of a 'chilli.' On these the
birds feed greedily in the early morning and towards sunset.
Insects and worms, with this fruit, form their chief food, but I
have on one occasion found small land shells and pebbles in
the stomach of an adult male.

" These birds may be heard in the early morning and at
sunset calling, and then the male is generally to be found
perched on some branch only a few feet off the ground. The
call is Ha-ha-ha-ha, something like a laugh, and can be heard
from a good distance ; the female's note I have never heard.
" From November to April these birds are found all over

TTTR PEACOCK-PHEASANTS. 63

the well-wooded parts of the district ; and during the rainy
season they retire to the dense forests and bamboo jungle to
breed, and at this season the call is never heard.

" I have shot dozens of this bird, some of \vhich had two
and three spurs, but in no case did I ever see more than four
on one leg, and one peculiarity is that they hardly ever have
the same number of spurs on each leg. The Kookies have an
idea that an additional spur grows every year ; but, during the
five years' experience I had of them, I never saw more than
the number mentioned above. The females have a corn on
each leg where the spur is in the male.

"These birds go about in pairs generally, but on one occa-
sion, in December, while riding through a forest pathway, I
came across a party of four, one male and three females, the
latter easily distinguishable by their smaller size and duller
colours.

"As a rule, these Pheasants are very shy, and terrible runners
and skulks, and without a good dog it is impossible to secure
a winged bird. They are delicious eating. . . ."

Writing from North-east Cachar, Mr. Inglis remarks : —
"The Kookies snare numbers of the Polyplectron on their
^j'hoojns,^ or Cultivation clearings, inside the forests. The snare
consists generally of a sapling, or branch of a tree, bent towards
the ground ; one end of a piece of string is fastened to the
sapling, and on the other end is a noose ; the latter is spread
round a small hole in the earth ; the trap itself is a simple con-
trivance of a few split pieces of bamboo ; the bait is a small
red berry of which the bird is very fond ; the berry is firmly
attached to the trap, and the bird pecking at the berry releases
the catch, the sapling flies up, and the bird is noosed by the
neck or feet, or sometimes both."

We are told that when the young of this species were
first hatched in the Zoological Gardens, a Bantam Hen was
employed as a foster-mother, and that the chicks would
follow close behind her, never coming in front to take food,

64 Allen's naturalist's library.

so that, in scratching the ground, she frequently struck them
with her feet. The reason for the young keeping in her rear
was not understood until, on a subsequent occasion, two
chicks were reared by a hen P. chinquis, when it was ob-
served that they always kept in the same manner close behind
the mother, who held her tail widely spread, thus completely
covering them, and there they continually remained out of
sight, only running forward when called by the hen to pick up
some food she had found, and then immediately retreating to
their shelter.

Nest. — A circular depression in the ground made of leaves
and twigs, slightly lined with a few of the birds' own feathers,
placed amongst grass among jungle {R. A. Clark).

Eggs. — Like those of the Golden Pheasant. Average
measurements, 2 by 1*44 inches {R. A. Clark).

II. GERMAIN S PEACOCK-PHEASANT. POLYPLECTRON
GERMAINI.

Polypledro7i germaini^ Elliot, Ibis, 1866, p. 56; id. Monogr
Phasian. i. pi. 8 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 357 (1893).

Adult Male. — Like the male of F. chinquis, but the whitish-
brown spots on the upper-parts are i?iuch smaller a7id closer
together ; the ocelli on the tail-feathers dark green with bluish-
violet reflections ; no white on the throat. Naked skin round
the eye crimson. Total length, 20 inches; wing, 7*5; tail,
10-5 ; tarsus, 2*5.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the female of P. chinquis
in having the ocelli on the mantle and upper tail-coverts,
though rudimentary, comparatively well-marked and glossed
with dark green, changing to purple ; those on the scapulars
and secondary quills bordered above with narrow ^-shaped

PLATE yjLxnii

napoleon's peacock-pheasant.

THE PEACOCK-PHEASANTS. 65

black and buff bands. Total length, i8-6 inches; wing, 7;
tail, 8-5; tarsus, 2-3.
Range. — Cochin China.

III. THE MALAYAN PEACOCK-PHEASANT. POLYPLECTRON
PICAI.CARATUM.

Favo bicalcaraius^ Linn. S. N. i. p. 268 (1766).

Polyplectron bicalcarattn/i, Sclater, List of Phas. p. 12, pi. 12
(1863); Gould, B. x\sia, vii. pi. 51 (1870); Elliot,
Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 7 (1872); Hume and Marshall,
Game Birds Ind. i. p. 113, pi. (1878); Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 357 (1893).

Polyplectron hardivickii^ J. E. Gray, III. Lid. Zool. i. pi. 37, ii.
pi. 42, fig. I, and P. li/icafinn, id. op. cit, i. pi. 38 (1830-

32).

Adult Male. — A short crest glossed with purplish-green ; bars
on neck-feathers glossed with purple ; ground-colour of the
upper-parts buff, thickly dotted and mottled with black ; the
ocelli on the wings and tail-feathers entirely rich green in
one light, and purplish or blue in another; only the middle
pair of tail-feathers, and longer upper tail-coverts with ocelli
on each side of the shaft, and these are co7iflue?it^ and not
divided from one another by a pale band ; on all the outer tail-
feathers, only one ocellus on the outer %veb ; naked skin round
the eye red. Total length, 22 inches; wing, 8-2; tail^ 10;
tarsus, 2*8.

Adult Female. — Distinguished from the female of P. chinquis
by having the ground-colour of the back, wings, and rump
brownish buff, mottled with black ; feathers of the nuuitle and
wings with a black blotch near the tip ; longer upper tail-coverts
and middle pair of ti ilfe.ithers with paired ocelli ; outer tail
feathers with no ocelli on the inner webs. Total length, 18
inches; wing, 7*1 ; tail, 6'5 ; tarsus, 2*3.

Range. — From the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra to the
South Tenasserim.

66 ALLENS naturalist's LIBRARY.

IV. THE BORNEAN BEACOCK-PPIEASANT. BOLYPLECTRON
SCHLEIERMACHERI.

Polyplcctron scJiIeiermacheri, Briigg. Abhandl. Ver. Erem. v.

p. 461, pi. ix. (1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Wus.

xxii. p. 359 (1893).
Adult Male. — Most nearly allied to the male of P. hicalcara-
tuni, but the crest much shorter, tlie frill of feathers round
the hind-neck more developed, and th,e violet margins much
wider; the metallic ocelli on the back and wings bluish-
green ; feathers on the sides of the neck and chest zvith heart-
shaped metallic spots of golden-green, changing to purplish-
blue ; rest of the under-parts hhick, with some buff speckling ;
middle of neck, breast, and belly, wJiiie ; the paired ocelli en
the upper tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers touching one
another, but not confluent. Total length, 20 inches; wing,
7 '8 ; tail, 8 o ; tarsus, 2 •6.

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of P. hicalca7-atum
in having 110 ocelli on the hju^er upper tail-coverts^ so that the
tail shows only a single series ; the under-parts washed with
black. Total length, 14 inches; wing, 6'8 ; tail, 5*6; tarsus,

Range. — Borneo.

This species was first discovered by Ilerr Schleiermacher in
the interior of Dutch Borneo, and Mr. A. H. Everett has
since met with it at Paitan in the northern part of the island.

v. napoleon's PEACOCK-PHEASANT. POLYPLECTRON
NAPOLEONIS.

Polyplectron napoleonis^ Less. Traite d'Orn. pp. 48 7, 650
(1831); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 361
(1893); Bourns and Worcester, Occ. Pap. Minnesota
Acad. i. no. i. p. 43 (1894).

Polyplectron empha?mm, Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 18 [No. 540]
(1831); Elliot, Monogr. Phnsian. i. pi. 9 (1S72).

THE PEACOCK-niEASANTS. 67

R>IypIcctron 7tciirJ:or)i(r^ Blasius, Mitlli. Orn. \Yt. \Vicn. i8()i,
p. i. ; Ogilvic-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 360
(1S93).

{Plate XXVIII.)
Adult Male. — Crown and elongate crest dark green, shot with
purp]ish-]:)kie ; back of tlie neck, mantle, and wings, black,
broadly barred with greenish-blue, chang rg to dark blue and
deep violet and fringed with golden-green; lower back and
tail black, thickly spotted with rufous-buff, the longer upper
tail-coverts, and tail-feathers with a pair of bluish-green ocelli
changing to deep violet, each framed in a black and grey ring ;
the latter absent on the inner webs of the outer pairs of tail-
featheis ; the broad superciliary stripes* confluent on the nape,
and a triangular patch on each side of the head, pure white ;
throat and under-parts Idack ; naked skin round eye crimson.
Total length, 19 inches ; wing, 7-3 ; tail, 87 ; tarsus, 2*5.

Adult Female. — A ivell-devchiped crest brownish-black ; upper-
parts pale rufous-brown, finely mottled with black ; feathers of
the mantle and wing-coverts with an ill-defmed band of rufous-
buff near the extremity ; longer tail-coverts without ocelli ;
ocelli on the tail-feathers as in the male, but much smaller and
more widely edged with black only ; feathers on sides of face

* Two species have generally been recognised, distinguished by the
presence or absence of a white eyebrow. On this subject Messrs. Eourns
and Worcester observe : — " While in Palawan we were so fortunate as to
secure a series of eleven fully adult males oi \.\\(t Poly pled ron inhabiting
that island. Of these, two have not the slv^htest trace of superciliary stripes,
while a third has only four small white f"eathers on one side. In each of
the above there are a few white feathers on the nape. Three of our speci-
mens perfectly agree with the description of typical P. 7iehrko7-7ice. Three
specimens have /^r^^r^ superciliary stripes, rt'/;//^^/ confluent on the nape,
and in one bird the superciliary stripes which beg'n between the eye and
the nostril are very broad, widening steadily towards the nape, where they
are fully conjiiient. An examination of young birds, of which we have a
good series, shows that the width and extent of the superciliary lines is
independent of age. We therefore feel perfectly satisfied that P. napoleonis
and /'. nehrkorncr are identical, since the width of the white superciliary
stripes is an uncertain quantity, subject to wide individual variation, and
it may even be absent. '

F 2

68 Allen's naturalists library.

and throat white; under-parts reddish-brown, faintly mottled
with black and with pale shafts ; orbital skin black. Total
length, 14-5 inches ; wing, 6-8 ; tail, 5*5 ; tarsus, 2-2.

Range. — Island of Palawan.

HaMts. — Mr. J. Whitehead, who is one of the few Europeans
who have trapped this bird in its native wilds, says : — ^'This
splendid little Pheasant is scarce and local, all my specimens
having been collected in one forest; and although my men set
hundreds of snares in other forests we never met with another
during our three months' stay. One female was eaten by a
wild cat in one of the traps, and I rather suspect that this
little tiger destroys numbers of this beautiful bird.

" This species, like the Argus Pheasant, has its 'showing off
arena, a neatly swept patch some three or four feet in dia-
meter; the chosen spot is generally in some unfrequented
part of the forest. I often noticed that this ring had a small
hump of earth in the middle, where no doubt the male birds
show off their splendid plumage and perhaps do battle. Their
battles, if they have any, must be very short and decisive, as
the double spurs of the cock would be sufficient to cut his
adversary into bits.

"I am inclined to think that the birds pair, and are not
polygamous, as we collected three pairs; but that was not
during the nesting-season, which is probably in the months
of December and January."

Messrs. Bourns and Worcester add: — "P. napoleonis is
extremely shy. All our specimens were snared, though Mr.
Bourns caught a glimpse of a female on one occasion."

THE BRONZE-TAILED PEACOCK-PHEASANTS. GENUS
CHALCURUS.

Chakurus, Bonap. Ann. Sci. Nat. (4) i. p. 146 (1854).
Type, C. chalcurus (Less.).
Tail elongate and wedge-shaped, as in Phasiamis, and com-
posed of sixteen feathers, the middle pair nearly three times as

THE ARGUS PHEASANTS. 69

long as the outer pair, and all partially glossed with metallic
purple^ hut ivithout metallic ocelli.

First primary fiight-feather much shorter than the second,
which is shorter than the tenth ; sixth slightly the longest.

Sides of the face covered with small feathers.

Male armed with two or more pairs of spurs. Tlumage of
sexes alike.

Only one species is known.

I. THE BRONZE-TAILED PEACOCK- PHEASANT. CHALCURUS
CHALCURUS.

rolyplectriimchalcurum, Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 487 (1831).
Folyplcctron chalcnrum, Temm. PL Col. v. pi. 19 [No. 519]

(1831); Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 10 (1872).
Chalcurus inocellatus (Less.), Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 878 (1856).
Chalcurus chalcurus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.
361 (1893)-

Adult Male.— General co\oux broivn ; upper-parts barred and
fringed with dull rufous ; throat- and neck feathers with white
shafts ; middle tail-feathers black, irregularly barred with rufous
and shading into metallic purplishddue towards the extremities;
outer pairs similar but with the greater part of the outer and
much of the inner webs purplish-blue, changing into violet.
Total length, 18 inches; wing, 6-6, tail, 9*2 ; tarsus, 2-4.

Adult Female.— Like the male, but smaller and devoid of
spurs. Total length, 15-7 inches ; wing, 6-2 ; tail, 7-4 ; tarsus,

2'2.

Range. — Sumatra.

Nothing is known of the habits of this rare Pheasant. Dr.
Biittikofer tells us that the native name is " Karo-Karo."

THE ARGUS PHEASANTS. GENUS ARGUSIANUS.

Argus, Temm. {nee Boh. Mollusca, 1761 ; tiec Scop. Lepi-
doptera, 1777), Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 410 (18 13).

70 ALLENS NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Argusianns, Rafinesque, Analyse, p. 219 (1815).
Type, A. argus (Linn.).

Tail composed of twelve feathers \ the middle pair enor-
mously elongate (in the male), and more than four times as
long as the outer pair.

First primary flight-feather shortest, the tenth longest ;
secondary quills enormously developed, much longer than
the primaries, the eighth and ninth being nearly twice as long
as the first.

Sides of the face, throat, and fore-pai t of neck naked.

Tarsus much longer than the middle toe and claw.

I. THE ARGUS PHEASANT. ARGUSIANUS ARGU3.

Fhastaftiis argus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 272 (1766).
Argus giganteus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. p. 410 (1S13), iii. p.
678 (1815) ; Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. n. s. pis. 14 and
15 (1837); EUiot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 11 (1S72); Hume
and ALirshall, Game Birds Lid. i. p. 99, pi. (1878) ; Sclater,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 115, pis. vii. and viii. fig. i.
Argus pavo}i:uus,]. E. Gray, LI. Lid. Zool. i. pi. 36 (103^-32).
Argusiamis argus, Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 52 (1883): Ogiivic-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. ^Gt, (1893).
[ric:c XXIX.)
Adult Male. — A short black crest ; general colour above black,
chequered and mottled 7i'ith buff and rufous ; lower back and
rump huff, with rounded black spots; long middle tail-feathers
whitish-buff with kidney-shaped black spots and blotches ;
primary quills beautifully patterned, and ornamented with
close-set rows of black and rufous spots ; a rufous-brown band,
finely dotted with white, on the basal part of the inner web
only, divided from the dull-blue shaft by a yellow line regu-
larly barred with black ; secondary quills equally wonderful in
their markings, and having the outer webs decorated with a row
of large ocelli, gradually increasing in size towards the extremity

PLATE XXIX.

ARaUS PHEASANT

TtynuutiiScMs. luiutta.

THE ARGUS, PHEASANTS. 7 I

of the feathers ; each of these eyes yellowish in the centre,
shading into white on the one side and reddish-brown on the
other, and bounded by a black band ; under-parts black with
wavy bars and markings of chestnut and buff. Naked skin on
sides of head and throat dark blue. Total length, 72 inches ;
wing to the end of the primary quills, 19; to the end of the
secondaries, 34 ; tail, 50 ; tarsus, 4*4.

Adult Female. — Neck chestnut^ slightly mottled with black,
shading into reddish-buff on the mantle, which is thickly
mottled with black ; lower back bright buff, barred and
mottled with black ; wing-coverts and secondary (}uills black,
thickly covered with buff hieroglyphics ', primary fjuills chest-
nut, irregularly marked with black; under-parts i-ufous, fintly
moUled with black. Total length, 30 inches; wing to the end
of the primary quills, 13 ; to the end of the secondaries, 15 ;
tail, i2'5 ; tarsus, 4.

Range. — Laos Mountains, Siam, South Tenasserim, the
Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra.

Hatits. — The late Mr. W. R. Davison, who had exceptional
opportunities of studying the habits of the Argus Pheasant, gives
the following excellent account : — " They live quite solitarily,
both males and females. Every male has his own drawing-
room, of which he is excessively proud, and which he keeps
scrupulously clean. They haunt exclusively the depths of the
evergreen forests, and each male chooses some open level spot
— sometimes down in a dark, gloomy ravine entirely surrounded
and sliut in by dense crane-brakes and rank vegetation;
sometimes on the top of a hill where the jungle is com-
paratively open— from w^iich he clears all the dead leaves and
weeds for a space of six or eight yards s(]uare, until nothing
but the bare clean earth remains, and thereafter he keeps this
place scrupulously clean, removing carefully every dead leaf or
twig that may happen to fall on it from the trees above.

" These cleared spaces are undoubtedly used as dancing-

72 Allen's naturalists library.

grounds, but personally I have never seen a bird dancing in
them, but have always found the proprietor either seated
quietly in, or moving backwards and forwards slowly about,
them, calling at short intervals, except in the morning and
evening, when they roam about to feed and drink. The males
are always to be found at home, and they roost at night on
some tree quite close by.

" They are the most difficult birds I know of to approach.
A mAle is heard calling, and you gradually follow up the sound,
taking care not to make the slightest noise, till at last the bird
calls within a few yards of you, and is only hidden by the
denseness of the intervening foliage. You creep forward,
hardly daring to breathe, and suddenly emerge on the open
space, but the space is empty; the bird has either caught sight
of, or heard, or smelt you, and has run off quietly. They will
never rise, even when pursued by a dog, if they can possibly
avoid it, but run very swiftly away, always choosing the densest
and most impenetrable part of the forest to retreat through.
When once the cleared space is discovered, it is merely the
work of a little patience to secure the bird by trapping it. The
easiest way is to run a low fence of cut scrub round the spot,
leaving four openings just sufficiently wide to enable the bird to
pass through, and in these openings to place nooses fastened
to the end of a pliant sapling, which is bent and kept down by
a catch. This is the usual way, and the one I adopted to
secure most of my specimens, as I found it as difficult to shoot,
as it was easy to trap, them. The natives, however, have other
ways of securing them, all dependent on taking advantage of
the bird's idiosyncrasy about keeping its home clean. , . .

" The males are not at all quarrelsome, and apparently never
interfere with each other, though they will answer each other's
calls. The call of the male sounds like ' hoiv-how^ repeated
ten or a dozen times, and is uttered at short intervals when
the bird is in its clearing, one commencing, and others in the
neighbourhood answering. The report of a gun will set every

THE ARGUS PHEASANTS. 73

,nale within hearing calling, and on the least alarm or excite-
ment, such as a troop of monkeys passing overhead, they
call.

"The call of the female is quite distinct, sounding like
'■Jiowoivoo^ hoiv-oivoo^ the last syllable mucli prolonged,
repeated ten or a dozen times, but getting more and more
rapid until it ends in a series of ' owoos ' run togetlier. Both
the call of male and female can be heard to an immense
distance, that of the former especially, which can be heard at
the distance of a mile or more. Both sexes have also a note
of alarm, — a short, sharp, hoarse bark.

" The female, like the male, lives quite solitarily, but she
has no cleared space, and wanders about the forest apparently
without any fixed residence. The birds never live in paiis,
the female only visiting the male in his parlour for a short
tinie.

" The food consists chiefly of fallen fruit, which they swallow
whole, especially one about the size and colour of a prune,
which is very abundant in the forests of the south ; but they
also eat ants, slugs, and insects of various kinds. These birds
all come down to the water to drink, at about lo or 1 1 a.m., after
they have fed, and before they, or at any rate the males, return
to their parlours."

Nest. — Said to be rudely constructed on the ground in some
dense cane-brake. According to natives, the breeding-season
continues all the year round, except during the depth of the
rains.

Eggs.— Said^to be seven or eight in number, white or creamy,
minutely speckled with reddish-brown like a Turkey's. Mea-
surements, 2-6 by 1*9 inches.

II. gray's ARGUS PHEASANT. ARGUSIANUS GRAYI.

Argus gray i^ Elliot, Ibis, 1865, p. 423 ; id. Monogr. Phasian. i.
p. xviii. pi. 12 (1872).

74 ALLEN S naturalist's LIBRARY.

Argusianus grayi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 365
(1893)-
Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from the male of A. argus in
having the mantle and wing-coverts black, mottled with wJiiie
and rufous ; the lower back and rump rufoiis-biiff ; the neck
and upper chest brighter rufous, with yellowish shaft-stripes ;
and the sides and flanks more or less mottled with white. Size
smaller. Total length, 60 inches ; wing to the end of the
primary quills, 17; to the end of the secondaries, TyT^ ; tail, 42 ;
tarsus, 4.

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of A. argiis in having
the neck riist-rcd ; and the under-parts sandy-brow)i^ but
slightly mixed with rufous and finely mottled with black.
Total length, 29 inches; wing to the end of the primary
quills, i2"6; to tlie end of the secondaries, 14; tail, ii"8;
tarsus, 3 "6.

Eange. — Borneo.

Eggs. — Pale creamy-white, rather fuiely pitted all over with
reddish-brow^n. Measurements, 2-6 by i'85 inches.

III. wood's ARGUS PHEASANT. ARGUSIANUS BIPUNCTATUS.

Ai'gm bipuncfcifus, Wood, Ann. Mag. N. H. (4) viii. p. 67
(1S71); Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 13 [part of pri-
mary quill] (1872).

Argusiauiis bipuncfatus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 366 (1893).

This species is still known only from a portion of a primary
wing-feather from a male bird, which is now preserved in the
British Museum, to which it was presented by Mr. Edward
Bartlett. It is so perfectly dictinct both in its markings and
in the shape of the shaft of the quill, from either of the above
species, that one can have no hesitation in recognising it as
belonging to a distinct species, in spite of the somewhat frag-
mentary evidence.

THE CRESTED ARGUS PHEASANTS. 75

The general colour of lliis featlier is similar to tliat of a
primary quill of A. cu-gns and A. g?'ayi, but there is a reddish-
brown band minutely dotted with white on the outer as well as
tke inner ivcb. The.^e bands extend over a large proportion of
both the webs ; the shaft is remarkably narrow and attenu-
ated.

Range. — Unknown.

THE CRESTED ARGUS PHEASANTS. GENUS
RHEINARDTIUS.

Rheinardtius, Oiistal. Bull. See. Philom. (7) vi. p. 254 (1882).
Type, R.oalldiHS (Bp,).

Tail composed of twelve feathers, the middle pair being
e?iorir,ously elongate (in the male), the second pair considerably
shorter, and the outermost pair about one-fifth of the length of
the middle pair.

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the second;
fourth about equal to the tenth ; fifth and sixth sub-equal and
longest.

Secondary fliglit-feathers not longer than the primaries.

Sides of the head naked ; crown feathered, an erect crest of
hairy feathers covering the nape.

Tarsus ratb.er shorter than the middle toe and claw.

I. RHEINARDT's ARGUS PHEASANT. RHEINARDTIUS
OCELLATUS.

Argus ocellatus, Vtrr.; Bcnap. C. R. xlii. p. 878 (1856)*;

Elliot, Monogr. Phasiaii. i. pi. 13 (1S72) [tail feathers

only].
Rheinardtius oeellatus, Oustal. Ann. Sci. Nat. (6) xiii. Art. 12

(18S2); id. N. Arch. Mus. (2) viii. p. 256, pi. ii. (1885),

* Described from a few tail-feathers in the Paris Museum.

7& Allen's naturalist's library.

Argus rheinardti, Maingonnat, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, vii. p.

XXV. (1882).
Rheinardtius ocellatus^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

367 (1893).
AdiUt Male. — General colour dark brown, mixed her" -^nd
there, especially on the under-parts, with rufous, and thickly
covered with small white spots and markings ; upper tail-
coverts and the enormously elongate middle pair of tail-feathers
grey, thickly covered with large spots and markings of chest-
nut, the spots on each side of the shaft with black central
rings and smaller rounded dots of white ; outer tail-feathers
reddish-brown, thickly covered with round white spots sur-
rounded by rings of black. Total length, about seven feet ;
wing, 13-5 inches; tail, 5 feet; tarsus, 3*5 inches; middle
toe and claw, 37.

Adult Female. — Crest smaller than in the male ; general
colour above umber-brown, transversely mottled with black
and buff, these markings being stronger on the secondaries and
tail-feathers ; below brown, fmely mottled with black. Total
length, about 31 inches; wing, 11 "5; tail, 14*5; tarsus,
3'4-

Range. — Mountains in the interior of Tonkin.

This pheasant, still one of the rarest in collections, was first
described in 1856 from some tail-feathers in the Paris Museum.
Nothing more was known of it till 1882, when several pairs
were obtained by the French- during the Tonkin War, and in
course of time found their way to Paris. Of these, the
British Museum was fortunate enough to secure a fine adult
pair, which were subsequently beautifully mounted by Mn
Pickhardt, the well-known taxidermist, and may now be seen
exhibited in a case along with the Common Argus-Pheasant
at the Natural History Museum. Nothing is recorded about
this bird's habits, but they probably do not differ greatly from
those of the Common Argus.

THE PEA-FOWL. yy

THE TEA-FOWL. GENUS TAVO.

Pavo^ Linn. S^ N. i. p. 267 (1766).

Type, P. cristatiis^ Linn.

Tail long and wedge-shaped, composed of twenty feathers ;

upp^%tail-covert3 cnoimously developed in the male, forming

the "train."

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the tenth ;
fiTih somewhat the longest.
An elevated crest of feathers.
Tarsus armed in the male with a short stout spur.
Only two species are known.

I. THE COMMON PEA-FOWL. PAVO CRISTATUS.
t

Pavo crlstatus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 267 (1766); Elliot, Monogr.
Phasian. i. pi. 3 (1S72); Hume and Marshall, Game
Birds Lid. i. p. 81, pi. (1878); Oates, ed. Hume's Nest
and Eggs, Ind. B. iii. p. 405 (1890); Ogilvie- Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 368 (1893).

Adult Male. — Crest of erect naked shafts, with fan-shaped
bluish-green plumes at the extremity ; the lesser and median
wing-coyerts, shoulder-feathers and inner secondary quills pa/e
buff, barred and mottled ivith black, slightly glossed with green ;
primary quills and their coverts pale chestnut ; thighs ivhitish
buff. Naked skin on sides of head livid white. Total length
to the end of tail, 35 inches ; to the end of upper tail-coverts
or train, 78 ; wing, 17-5 ; tail, 19-5; tarsus, 5-5.

Adult Female. — Terminal jilumes of crest-feathers mostly
chestnut edged with golden-green; feathered parts of head
mostly dark chestnut, paler on the neck ; mantle golden-
green ; rest of upper-parts brown, mdistinctly mottled with
buff; wing-coverts more coarsely mottled with buff and black ;
throat and part of neck white ; chest brownish-black, edged
with green and buff ; under-parts buff, browner on the belly.
Total length, 32 inches ; wing, 16 ; tail, 13 ; tarsus, 4*8.

78 Allen's naturalist's library.

Habits. — Mr. A. O. Hume writes: — "An Indian bird Z^;-
excellence^ the Common Pea-Fowl, though widely spread
throughout India proper, does not normally extend elsewhere,
except into Ceylon and Assam.

"Even wiihin these limits it is not universally distributed, as
it affects water and cultivation, and in no way shuns the abodes
of nien. But there may be too much water, cultivation, and
population to suit its taste.

"As a rule, the Pea-Fowl is not a bird of high elevations.
On the Nilgiris I know it occurs as high as 5,000 feet at Cook's
Flill, on the north-east slopes of those mountains, and it may
even, as Jerdon says so, though I have been unable to verify
this, occur up to 6,000 feet, but it does not, I believe, ascend
the Pulneys, or the Ceylon Hill.-, to elevations of above 3,000
feet ; and in the Himalayas, though in the river valleys it
penetrates, as in Central Gahrwal, far into the hills, it is rarely
seen above 2,000 feet. Broken and jungly ground, where
good cover exists, near water on the one hand, and cultivation
on the other, is the favourite resort of the Pea-Fowl, and,
wherever this favourable combination exists widiin the limits
indicated, there the Pea-Fowl is sure to abound. Canals, with
their grass- and tree-clad banks, are, in Upper India, pet
abiding places of the species. . . .

"But it is not only in such seemingly suitable localities that
this species thrives amazingly ; it is to be seen almost thro'jgh-
out Rajputana. In and about the rocky and semi-desert
tracts, for instance, in which lie Jeypore, and the more ancient
capital of that state. Umber, myriads of Pea-Fowl are to be
met with. Everyv/liere throughout Upper India a certain
superstitious reverence attaches to the Pea-Fowl, and the mass
of the population more or less dislike their slaughter ; but, in
these native states, the prohibition is absolute, and no man,
native or European, can or does molest them, though tigers
and leopards, if the people speak truly, are less amenable to
authority. . : .

THE PEA-FOWL.

79

"The Pea-Fowl is at times omnivorous, and land-shells,
insects of all kinds, worms, small lizards, and even tiny frogs
may be found in tlieir crofis, but by choice I lliink they feed
on grain and tender juicy shoots of grass and flowx'r-buds, and
I have scores of times examined their stomachs without find-
ing a trace of anything else, although, had they been so
minded, animal food of all kinds abounded round them.

"Where nunicrous, tliey do much damcige to culiiva'ion,
and, being excessively fond of the buds of trees, are also very
destructive to young [jlantations."

In Colonel Tickell's delightful account of this species we
read : — " Pea-Fowl roost at night on high trees. The highest
they can get in the jungle they inhabit; but they select the lowest
branches for their perch. They are rather late in roosting, and
I have heard them flying up to their berths long after sunset,
and when the Night-Jars had been for some time abroad, flit-
ting over the dusky jungle. The cock-bird invariably leads the
way, rising suddenly from the brushwood near the roosting-
tree, with a loud ' kok-kok-kok-kok,' and being presently
followed by his harem — four or five hens. If marked to their
roosting-place, and if it be a clear moonlight night, ihey may
be easily shot, for, not knowing where to go, they will frequently
remain on the tree till fired at two or three times. When
forced to quit, they fly towards the ground, and pass the rest
of the night as well as they can, someiimes falling a prey to
leopards or wild cats. If theie are hills in the jungle, the Pea-
Fowl select some prominei t tr e on the top, or half-way up. In
the Nilgirisand other mountain regions in Southern India, says
Jerdon, this bird ascends to the height of 6,000 feet above the
sea ; but in Sikhim (Darjiling) and other parts of the Himalaya,
not higher than 2,000 feet. . . ." Colonel Tickell con-
tinues : — " In the months of December and January, the tem-
perature in the forests of Central India, especially in the valleys,
is very low, and the cold, from sudden evaporation, intense at
sunrise. The Pea Fowl in the forests may be observed at such

8o Allen's naturalists library.

times still roosting, long after the sun has risen above the
horizon. As the mist rises off the valleys, and, gathering into
little clouds, goes rolling up the hill-sides till lost in the ethereal
blue, the Pea-Fowl descend from their perch on some huge
si'mal or sal tree, and, threading their way in silence through
the underwood, emerge into the fields, and make sad havoc
with the channa, urad (both vetches), wheat, or rice. When
sated, they retire into the neighbouring thin jungle, and there
preen themselves, and dry their bedewed plumage in the sun.
The cock s'ands on a mound, or a fallen trunk, and sends
forth his well-known cry, 'pehau;/-pehau;/,' which is soon
answered from other parts of the forest. The hens ramble about,
or lie dovv-n dusting their plumage, and so they pass the early
hours while the air is still cool, and hundreds of little birds
are flitting and chirruping about the scarlet blossoms of the
'palas,' or the 'simal.' As the sun rises, and the dewy
sparkle on the foliage dries up, the air becomes hot and siill,
the feathered songsters vanish into shady nooks, and our
friends the Pea-Fowl depart silently into the coolest depths of
. the forest, to some little sandy stream canopied by verdant
boughs, or to thick beds of reeds and grass, or dense thorny
brakes overshadowed by mossy rocks, where, though the sun
blaze over the open country, the green shades are cool, and
the silence of repose unbroken, though the shrill cry of the
Cicada may be heard ringing faintly through the wood.

" These birds cease to congregate soon after the crops are
off the ground. The pairing-season is in the early part of the
hot weather. The Peacock has then assumed his full train,
that is, the longest or last rows of his upper tail-coverts, which
he displays of a morning, strutting about before his wives.
These strange gestures, which the natives gravely denominate
the Peacock's nautch, or dance, are very similar to those of a
Turkey-cock, and accompanied by an occasional odd shiver of
the quills, produced apparently by a convulsive jerk of the
abdomen. The same thing occurs in a Turkey-cock, a little

THE PEA- FOWL. 8 I

Start and a pufT, and a short run forward, as if something had
exploded unpleasantly close behind him. These are all blan-
dishments, we are told, to allure the female, and doubtless
have a most fascinating effect."

Mr. Sanderson writes as follows : — '' Pea-Fowl run very fast,
but the old cocks, burthened with tails six feet in length, are
poor flyers, and I have frequently seen my men run them down
during the hot- hours of the day by forcing them to take two or
three long flights in succession, in places where they could be
driven from one detached patch of jungle to another.

" The old cocks are in full plumage from June to December,
and then cast their trains.

"Pea-Fowl are, perhaps, the most wary of all jungle crea-
tures. In beating for large game, where the sportsmen are
posted ahead in trees, their presence may pass undetected by
other animals, but rarely by Pea-Fowl."

A well-knowai variety of the Common Pea-Fowl is that
described by Latham [Gen. Hist. viii. p. 114 (1823)] under
the name of the Black-Shouldered Peacock, and subsequently
named Pavo nigf-ipciuiis by Dr. Sclater (P. Z. S. i860, p. 221).
This form differs from the male of typical P, cristatus in having
the lesser and median wing-coverts, shoulder-feathers, and inner
secondary quills brownish-blacky more or less glossed with
purple and edged with green, with only traces of buff mottlings
on some of the secondaries, the primary quills and their coverts
being black along the shaft and margin of the ijinerweb^ and the
thighs black.

Although this variety closely resembles the male hybrids
between P. cristatus and the following species P. niuticus, it
has been clearly shown that it arises independently in flocks
of Common Pea-Fowl which have been pure-bred for many
years, and there can be no doubt that it is merely a sport of
nature, possibly due to atavism or reversion to the ancestral
type, from which both the Common and Burmese Pea-Fowl
have sprung. The male is well figured by Mr. Elliot [Monogr.

12 G

^2 Allen's naturalist's library.

Phasian. i. pi. 4 (1872)], but the figure supposed to represent
the female of the Black-Shouldered form is merely a pale
variety. Albinos and pale cream-coloured forms are occasion-
ally met with in a perfectly wild state, but the so-called Pavo
iiigripe?inis has at present only been observed among birds in
captivity. Sportsmen should look carefully at any male Pea-
Fowl they may chance to shoot from time to time, as it would
be extremely interesting to know if this form ever occurs among
wild Indian birds.

Nest. — A hollow scratched by the hen in the ground and
lined with a few leaves and twigs among thick grass or dense
bushes.

Eggs. — Ten to fifteen in number; broad ovals, varying in
colour from whitish to pale buff; shell smooth and strong,
pitted all over. Average measurements, 274 by 2*05 inches.

n. THE BURMESE PEA-FOWL. PAVO MUTICUS,

Pavo miiticus^ Linn. S. N. i. p. 268 (1766); Elliot, Monogr.

Phasian. i. pi. 5 (1872); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds

Ind. i. p. 94, pi. (1878) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.

xxii.p. 371 (1893).
Pavo spiciferus, Shaw and Nodder, Nat. Misc. xvi. pi. 641 ;

Vieill. Gal. Ois. ii. p. 14, pi. 202 (1825).
Pavo javaiiicus, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 185 (1822).
Pavo aldrova7idi^ Wilson, 111. Zool. pis. xiv. and xv. (1831).
Pavo spicifer, Schinz, Nat. Vog. p. 150, pi. 73 (1853).

Adult Male.-— Easily distinguished from the male of P. cristatus
by having the rather long erect crest of normally developed
feathers webbed to the base of the shaft ; the feathers of the
back copper-coloured, surrounded by golden-green and mar-
gined with black ; the wing-coverts and shoulder-feathers bhick.
glossed with purplish-blue and edged with green ; the thighs
black, glossed with green, and the naked skin round the eyes
bluish-green^ on the cheeks du-onie-yellow. Total length to end

THE PEA-FOWL. 83

of tail, 51 inches; to end of upper tail-covertSj o2'5 ; Aving,
19-1 ; tail, 22*5 ; tarsus, 6-6.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the back,
shoulder-feathers, and rump brownish-black with but little
green gloss, and indistinctly mottled with buff; the upper tail-
coverts extending nearly to the end of the tail, and of a golden-
green hue irregularly barred with buff. Total length, 44 inches ;
wing, 167; tail, 16; tarsus, 5-4.

Range. — Indo-Chinese countries, extending north to Chitta-
gong, east through Siam to Cochin China, and southwards
through the Malay Peninsula. It is also found in Java, and
is stated by some of the earlier writers to inhabit Sumatra, but
its occurrence there is doubtful.

Habits. — In many respects, as regards habits, food, and
modes of life, the Eastern bird closely resembles the Indian
one, but there is this essential difference, at any rate every-
where within our limits, that the Eastern bird is never found
in thousands, throughout unbroken stretches of country, a
hundred or more miles in length, as the Indian bird is, but only
in small colonies in isolated spots, where one may often travel
fifty or a hundred miles before coming across another colony.

Like its congeners, it moves about feeding, morning and
evening, advancing into fields, if there happen to be cultiva-
tion near at hand at these times, and retreating during the day
to dense cover. At night, of course, it roosts upon trees, and
its call-note, like that of the Indian bird, which it closely re-
sembles, is a harsh "mew, mew, mew," which one might fancy
to be the cry of some gigantic tom-cat in distress. {Hume.)

To quote Colonel Tickell : — " The habits of Pavo inuticus
are so similar to those of its congener as scarcely to admit of
separate description ; but I should say it was a still more strictly
sylvan or forest-haunting bird. Cultivation does not appear to
entice it far from its leafy fastnesses, as it does the Bengal species,
and it is, in consequence, more secluded, wilder, and more

G 2

84 ALLEN'S NATLfRALISX'S LIBRARY.

difficult of approach, besides being far less numerous. I have
never seen more than three or four of the Burman Pea-Fowl
together, whereas the Bengal birds unite in flocks of thirty,
forty, or fifty. It haunts the thickest jungle, whether on level
ground or on the sides of small hills, and is frequently found
in the masses of elephant-grass which so commonly skirt the
smaller brackish creeks and nullas of Arakan. A specimen
with a full train is seldom seen except in the beginning of
the rains, which is the season of courtship. About August
they moult, drop their long ocellated tail-coverts, and assume
the simpler green-barred ones. The train appears again
in the succeeding March or April ; but the moulting of this
bird appears to be irregular, and I have seen cock-birds with
fine flowing trains in January and February. The hen incu-
bates in the rains, but at uncertain periods ; the young, just
hatched, have been brought to me at Moulmein at different
times, from August till January."

Eggs. — Cannot be distinguished from those of P. cristatus.

THE BLACK GUINEA-FOWLS. GENUS PHASIDUS.

Fhasidus, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1856, p. 322.

Type, F. niger, Cassin.

Head and neck naked, with the exception of a band of
feathers along the middle of the head, commencing at the
base of the bill, and a few small scattered plumes on the
neck.

Tail moderately long and rounded, probably composed of
fourteen feathers.* Upper tail-coverts about two-thirds of the
length of the tail.

First primary flight-feather considerably shorter than the
second, which is about equal to the tenth ; fourth slightly the
longest.

* Both the examples of this rare bird in the British Museum have im^
perfect tails.

THE BLACK GUINEA-FOWLS. $$

Tarsus in male armed with a short bkint spur.
Only one species is known.

L THE BLACK GUINEA-FOWL. PHASIDUS NIGER.

Phasidiis niger, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1856, p. 322 ; id. J.
Ac. Philad. (2) p. 7, pi. 3 (1858) ; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian.
ii. pi. 36 (1872) ; Rochebr. Act. Soc. Linn. Bord. xxxviii.
p. 356: pi. xxii. (1884); Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 373 (1S93).
Adult Male. — A band of feathers along the middle of the
head, black ; general colour and rest of plumage blackish-
brown, finely mottled with dark brown. Naked skin of head
and neck Naples-yellow, shading into orange-yellow on the
throat and lower parts of the neck. Total length, 16-5 inches ;
wing, 88; tail,- 5*5 ; tarsus, 27.

Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but without spurs.
Range, — West Africa, from Cape Lopez to Loango.
Habits. — The Black Guinea-Fowl is one of the rarest of the
Game-Birds. Even in the British Museum collection there
are only two examples of it, and neither of these are per
feet specimens, the middle tail-feathers in both being absent.
Mr. Du ChaiUu, the original discoverer of this remarkable bird,
gives the foUowing brief account :— " One day I went out hunt-
ing by myself, and, to my great joy, shot another new bird, a
black wild fowl, one of the most singular birds I have seen in
Africa. . . . The head, where it is bare, is in the female
of a pink hue, and in the male of a bright scarlet.! ....
When I saw this bird for the first time in the woods I thouglit
I saw before me a domestic chicken. The natives have noticed
the resemblance, too, as their name for it shows, couba iga,

* Cassin gives the length of the tail as 6'o inches.

t It will be noted that the colours of the naked skin here given do not
agree with those given in the description above. I am unable to say which
is correct.

S6 Allen's naturalist's library.

signifying 'wild fowl.' Wild they are, and most difficult to
approach, and also rare, even in the forests where they are at
home. They are not found at all on the sea-coast, and do not
appear until the traveller reaches the range of fifty or sixty
miles from the coast. Even there they are so rare, that though
I looked out for them constantly I killed but three in all my
expeditions. They are not gregarious, like the Guinea-Fowl,
but wander through the woods, a male and one or, at most,
two females in company. They are very watchful, and fly off
to retreats in the woods at the slightest alarm."

THE TURKEY-LIKE GUINEA-FOWLS. GENUS AGELASTES.

Agelastes (Temm.), Bonap. P. Z. S. 1849, p. 145.

Type, A. inekagrides, Bonap.

Skin of head and greater part of neck naked, or with only a
few minute scattered plumes.

Tail rather long and rounded, composed oifourteoi feathers,
the outer pair being not much shorter than the middle pair.
Upper tail-coverts about two-thirds of the length of the middle
pair of tail-feathers.

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the second,
which equals the tenth ; fifth to seventh sub-equal and longest.

Tarsus in the male armed with a short stout spur.

Only one species is known.

I. THE TURKEV-LIKE GUINEA-FOWL. AGELASTES MELEAGRIDES.

Agelastes meleagrides (Temm.), Bonap, P. Z. S. 1849, p. 145 ;
Schleg. Handl. Dierk. 1857, Vog. fig. 57 ; id. Dierentuin,
1872, p. 220, cum fig. ; Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 37
(1872) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 374

(1893)-
Adult Male. — Lower-neck, chest, and upper mantle, white ;
rest of plumage black, finely mottled with white, primary flight-
feathers edged with whitish-grey ; naked skin of head red, darker

THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS. 87

on the hind-neck, tliat of tlic lower-neck milky-white. Total
length, 19 inches; wing, 87; tail, 6; tarsus, 2*9.

Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but devoid of spurs,
Range — West Africa, from Liberia to Gaboon.
Like the Black Guinea-Fowl, this is one of the rarest birds
in European collections, and up to the present time nothing is
known regarding its habits. Mr. Biittikofer obtained several
examples during his expeditions to Liberia, but these were
bought from natives, who trap them in the bush-paths. Accord-
ing to native report, the Turkey-like Guinea-Fowl, though well-
known, is very rare everywhere.

THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS. GEXUS XUMIOA.
Nuinida, Linn. S. N. i p. 273 (1766).
Type. N. uieleagris, Linn.

Head and neck naked ; a more or less elevated bony helmet
covering the top of the head; a pair of wattles situated, one on
each side, behind the angles of the gape.

Tail fairly long and somewhat rounded, composed of sixteen
feathers, the middle pair being rather longer than the outer
pair. Upper tail-coverts almost extending to the end oi the tail.

First primary flight-feather shorter than the second, which is
about equal to the tenth ; fifth slightly the longest.

In all the species the general colour of plumage is black, spotted
with white* ; the outer secondary quills not ivhite on the outer
web.

Sexes similar in plumage.

I. THE COMMON HELMETED GUINEA-FOV/L. NUMIDA
MELEAGRIS.

Numida meleagrls, Linn. S. N. i. p. 273 (1766); Gray, Gen.
Birds, iii. p. 501, pi. 128, fig. 2 (1845); Elhot, Monogr.
Phasian. ii. pi. 39 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.
Mus. xxii. p. 375 (1893).

* T)v white spots appear to be absent on the upper-parts of N. zeclii.

88 Allen's naturalists library.

Numida rendalUi, Ogilby, P. Z. S. 1835, p. 106; Fraser, Zool.

Typ. pi. 62 (1841-2).
Numida viaculipennis, Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 226 (1837).
Ninnida marchei, Oustal. Ann. Sci. Nat. (6) xiii. Art. i. bis
(1882) ; id. N. Arch. Mus. (2) viii. p. 305, pi. xiv. (1885).

^^^It.— Easily distinguished from all the following species,
except N. zechi, by the wide collar of vinous-grey covering the
upper-part of the mantle and chest. Naked skin on sides of
face and neck, chin and wattles red ; rest of neck bluish. Total
length, 25 inches; wing, 10-5; tail, 6; tarsus, 2-8; middle toe
(with claw), 2-2.

Eange. — West Africa, extending from Senegambia southwards
through Ashantee to Gaboon ; also met with in the Cape Verde
Islands, Annobon, and St. Thomas.

HaMts. — Writing of this bird, which was introduced into the
Island of Jamaica more than two hundred years ago, Mr.
Gosse says : — " In a country whose genial climate so closely
resembled its own, and which abounded with dense and
tangled thickets, the well-known wandering propensities ot
the Guinea-Fowl would, no doubt, cause it to become wild
very soon after its introduction. It was abundant in Jamaica,
as a wild bird, 150 years ago, for Falconer mentions it among
the wild game, in his amusing ' Adventures.' I shall confine
myself to a few notes of its present habits, which are, in all
probability, those of its original condition.

"The Guinea-Fowl make themselves only too familiar to the
settlers by their depredations in the provision-grounds. In the
cooler months of the year they come in numerous coveys from
the woods, and, scattering themselves in the grounds at early
dawn, scratch up the yams and cocoes. A large hole is dug
by their vigorous feet in very short time, and the tubers ex-
posed, which are then pecked away, so as to be almost
destroyed, and quite spoiled. A little later, when the planting
season begins, they do still greater damage, by digging up and

THE IIELMETED GUINEA-FOWI.S. 89

devouring the seed-yams and cocoe-heads, thus frustrating the
hopes of the husbandman in the bud. 'The corn is no sooner
put in the ground than it is scratched out ; and the peas are
not only dug up by them, but shelled in the pod ' {Dr. Cliam).
The sweet potato, however, as I have heeii informed, escapes
their ravages, being invariably rejected by them. To protect
the growing provisions, some of the negro peasants have re-
course to scarecrows, and others endeavour to capture the
birds by a common ' rat-gin ' set in their way. It must, how-
ever, be quite concealed, or it may as well be at home ; it is,
therefore, sunk in the ground, and lightly covered with earth
and leaves. A springe is useless, unless the cord be blackened
and discoloured so as to resemble the dry, trailing stem of
some creeper, for they are birds of extreme caution and sus-
picion. It is hence extremely difficult to shoot them, their
fears being readily alarmed, and their fleetness soon carrying
them beyond the reach of pursuit. But the aid of a dog, even
a common cur, greatly diminishes the difficulty. Pursuit by
an animal whose speed exceeds their own, seems to paralyse
them ; they instantly betake themselves to a tree, whence they
may be shot down with facility, as their whole senses appear
to be concentrated upon one subject, the barking cur beneath,
regarding whom with attent eyes and outstretched neck, they
dare not quit their position of defence. Flight cannot be
protracted by them, nor is it trusted to as a means of escape,
save to the extent of gaining the elevation of a tree ; the body
is too heavy, the wings too short and hollow, and the sternal
apparatus too weak, for flight to be any other than a painful
and laborious performance.

"Though savoury, and in high request for the table, the
Guinea-Fowl sometimes acquires an insufferably rank odour,
from feeding on the fetid Pdiveria alliacea ; and is then
uneatable."

A supposed new species from Zanzibar described by Cabanis
under the name of Numida orkntalis (cf. J. f. O. 1S76, p. 210),

90 Allen's naturalist's library.

appears to be founded on a domestic variety of JV. meleagi-is
with abnormally developed wattles (one inch wide and half an
inch long), at the angle of the gape.

N. ineleagj'is has been known to cross with the Common
Pea-Fowl (see Hocker, J. f. O. 1870, p. 152).
Nest. — Made in the midst of a dense tussock of grass.
Eggs. — About twelve are generally laid, and sometimes many
more. Pale brownish or yellowish-bufif, the whole shell thickly
pitted with reddish-brown. The average measurement is 1*95
by 1-55 inch.

II. zEcn's helmeted guinea-fowl, numida zechi.
Niimida zechi^ Reichenow, Orn. Monatsb. iv. p. 76 (1896).

Most nearly allied to N. mekagris, from which it appears to
differ chiefly in having the feathers of the upper-parts pale
brown or grey-brown, spotted with darker, black down the
middle, and with very fine greyish-white stre.iks ; the white
ocelli being apparently wanting. Total length, 18-5 inches;
wing, II ; tail, 6-4; tarsus, 3; middle toe and claws, 2 "8.

Eange. — West Africa ; Togo-land.

This form is evidently very closely allied to N. mekagris^
and, if really distinct, apparently inhabits the same country.
I have, as yet, had no opportunity of examining the type.

III. the large-helmeted guinea-fowl, numida

CORONATA.

Numida coronata^ Gray, List of Birds, pt. iii. Gall. p. 29 (1844);
Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 40 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 376 (1893) [part.; Eastern South
Africa].

Adult. — Bony helmet long, high, and compressed (height,
1-1-5 inch, length, -9*), sloping obliquely backwards ; feathers

* The height is measured from the middle of the base to the apex ; the
length, at the base of the hehnet.

THE IIELMETED GUINEA-FOWI.S.

91

round the base of the neck more or less barred with narrow
black and white bands ; basal part of hchiiet red. Naked
skin on the sides of head and neck pale blue. Wattle pale
blue, tipped with red. Total length, about 20 inches ; wing,
Ti'5 ; tail, 6*4 ; tarsus, 3-1 ; middle toe (with claw), 2-85.

Range. — Eastern South Africa, extending, so far as is at
present known, from the shores of the Zambesi to Cape
Colony.

Habits. — Until recently this fine Guinea-Fowl was considered
identical with the East African Bird, which has now been se-
parated under the name of N. reichenoivi. It has also been
confounded by many authors w^ith the larger N. jnaruHge?isis
from Benguela and Marungu, and with N. coniuta from
Damara-land. The habits of the Large-Helmeted Guinea-Fowl
have never been very fully described, but appear to be very
similar to those of the allied Western forms. Mr. Ayres tells us
that in Natal they are gregarious, and generally found among
scrubby bush on the borders of streams and rivers. They lun
very rapidly, and in open ground a person on foot would
stand but a poor chance of running them down. In cover
they lie very close indeed, and require a good dog to find
them ; when found, they will frequently fly up into the lower
boughs of any convenient bush or tree. They are naturally
very tame and easily domesticated, and may be seen thus at
any farmstead; in some instances they come regularly to feed
with the poultry.

Eggs. — Like those of A^ meleagris, but considerably smaller
and rounder in shape. Measurements, 1-7 by 1-4 inch.

IV. REICHENOW'S LARGE-HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL.
NUMIDA REICHENO\VI.

Ahimida corojiafa, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

376 (1893) [part.; E. Africa].
Niimida reichenoivi, Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1894, p. 535, fig. i.
Adult. — Distinguished from N, coronata by having the large

92 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

bony helmet set vertically on the head ; the wattles at the gape
entirely crimson-red. Total length, 20*5 inches; wings, ii*o;
tail, 6"o; tarsus, 3*1 ; middle toe (with claw), 2'65.

Range. — Eastern Africa, extending in the south to the
Pangani River, westwards to Kakoma, and northwards to
Teita, Ukambani, and the countries to the south of Victoria
Nyanza.

V. THE MARUNGU HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. NUMIDA
MARUNGENSIS.

Nwnida coronata ?nariingensis, Schalow, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i.

p. 105 (1884).
Nuniida luarungeiisis^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

377 (1S93).

Adult. — Larger than any other species of Niimida ; the bony
helmet less elevated and stouter than in either of the preceding
species (height, 07 inch; length, i'2) ; the fine black and
white barring on the base of the neck cojitinued on to the chest.
Naked skin on sides of head and throat flesh colour. Total
length, 27 inches; wing, 12-5; tail, 7-4; tarsus, 3*5; middle
toe (with claw), 3-15.

Range. — West Africa, extending from Bengaela to Marungu,
west of Lake Tanganyika.

VI. THE DAMARA-LAND HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. NUMIDA
CORNUTA.

Nuniida cornuta, Finsch and Hartl. Vog. Ost.-Afr. p. 569
(1870) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 378

(1893).
Nuniida papulosa* Reichenow, Orn. Monats. ii. p. 145 (1894);
Fleck, J. f. O. 1894, p. 320, fig.

* Njimida papiUosa,^€\c}ci^r\o\\ [Orn. Monatsb. ii. p. 145 (1894)], from
Kalahari, is described as differing from N'. cormita in having a small warty
growth situated at the base of the culmen ; but this peculiarity is equally
to be found in birds from Damara-land and Mossamedes, which are un-

THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS 93

Adult. — Easily recognised by the shai)e of the bony ht'hnet,
which, though sHghtly curved backwards as in N. corojiata^ is
more elevated^ about half the breadth, and nearly cylindrical
(height, 2-1 inches; length, 0*55); the white spotted plumage
continuous almost to the base of the bare neck, only a few feathers
at the base of the neck showing traces of bars. Naked skin
of face clear blue, shading into purplish-blue on the neck ;
wattles blue, with scarlet tips. Total length, 21*5 inches;
wing, 10-4; tail, 5*8; tarsus, 27; middle toe (with claw),
24.

Range. — Western SDUth Africa; Great Namaqua-land,
Damara-land, and Mossamedes.

HaMts. — Mr. Andersson tells us that this Guinea-Fowl is
the commonest Game-Bird in Damara and Great Namaqua
Lands, being most abundant from the Orange River in the
south to the Okavango in the north of those countries ; and
it is also very common in the lake regions; It is a highly
gregarious bird, especially during the dry season, when it is not
uncommonly found in flocks of several hundred individuals ;
and on one occasion he saw upwards of a thousand collected
in one spot, which was one of the prettiest sights he had
the good fortune to witness. These wonderful congrega-
tions usually occur in the immediate neighbourhood of
waters of small extent ; and it is quite evident that were such
a mass of birds to make a simultaneous rush for the precious
liquid, there would be much confusion, and comparatively few
would be enabled to have their fill. But on the contrary they
go to work most economically and judiciously, and it is very
interesting to watch the process. The first comers enter the

doubtedly typical N. cor)iiita, while the size of the white spots on the
chest and breast varies in individuals and is unimportant. Ilerr E. Pleck
(J. f. O. 1884, p. 390) figures the head of N. papulosa, Reichenow, and
compares it with N. reicfienocvi. Grant, but the head figured by him as
N. reichenowi is that of N. mit?'ata, a very different species. This may
be seen at a glance by the size and shape of the helmet and blue red-tipped
wattles. In N, reichenoivi the wattles are entirely red.

94 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

well or hole, as the case may be, and, rapidly and dexterously
taking their fill, they make their exit in a different direction, if
possible, from that by which they entered ; in the meanwhile,
the outsiders gradually and evenly approach, and the ring is
gradually narrowed by a steady progressive movement of the
whole. A batch of fresh-comers never attempt to force their
way amongst those which have previously arrived, but remain
quietly on the outside of the ring until their turn comes. This
Guinea-Fowl feeds on grass, seeds, and insects, but chiefly on
a small bulb, which is also eagerly sought for by all the galli-
naceous birds. They rest during the heat of the day under
some mimosa, resuming their wanderings when the greatest
heat is passed. A flock of these birds is in general easily
discovered by their sharp, discordant, and metallic cries, some-
thing like a rapid succession of blows struck upon iron. They
have many enemies, and seek security at night by roosting in
tall mimosas.

Nest. — A slight rounded depression in the ground.

Eggs. — Fifteen to twenty in number; bufiy-white or pale buff
colour, sometimes obscurely speckled with pale grey.

VII. PALLAS'S HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. NUMIDA MITRATA.

Numida jiiitrata, Pall. Spic. Zool. i. fasc. iv. p. i8, pi. 3 (1767);

Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 41 (1872); Meyer, Vog.-

Skel. pt. X. pi. 99 (1886); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit

Mus. xxii. p. 378 (1893).
Qiierelea tiarata^ Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 876 (1856).
Numida tiarafa, Hartl. Orn. Madagas. p. 68 (t86i).
Numida reichenowi^ Fleck {jiec Ogilvie-Grant), J. f. O. 1894,

p. 390^ fig-
Adult. — Like N. coi^onata, but the bony helmet is much
smaller and conical in shape (height, o'8 inch; length, 0*9).
Top of the head scarlet ; helmet paler ; naked skin on sides
of head and neck blue ; wattles blue, tipped with red. Total

THE HELMETED GUINEA-FOWLS.

95

length, 20 inches ; wing, 10*5 ; tail, 6*2 ; tarsus, 3*2 ; middle
toe (with claw), 26.

Range. — East Africa, extending northwards from the Zam-
besi. It is also found in the Comoro Islands, Madagascar,
Rodriguez, and other islands into which it has probably been
introduced.

Habits. — This species is pretty generally distributed all over
Madagascar up to Beforona, but is most numerous along the
coast-line, where they may be found in the early morning
feeding among the ferns and brushwood on the outskirts of
the forests, {/^oc/i and £. Newton^

At Foule Point, according to Dr. Roch, this species is very
common, and he obtained eggs in November, several coveys
being observed between there and Nossi-be. The natives
often hunt them with dogs, and he was told that the birds,
while endeavouring to conceal themselves from the latter, will
allow themselves to be taken in the hand, rather than fly or
run into the open. When "treed," they will remain with their
long necks stretched out in stupid astonishment, as long as the
dogs continue yelping underneath, paying no regard to their
dangerous pursuers, and thus affording an easy shot to the
native sportsman.

Eggs. — Much like those of the Common Guinea-Fowl, but
the shells are marked nearly all over with small blotches and
spots of pale light red or greyish-red. Average measurements
of two eggs only, 1-9 by 1*4 inch.

VIII. THE ABYSSINIAN HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. NUMIDA
PTILORHYNCHA.

Numida ptylorhyncha^ Licht.; Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 498 (1831).

Niimida ptilorhyncha,^\x^^^.^.\^\lh€i\^\^ p. 184 (1835-40);
Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 501, pi. 128 (1845); Elliot,
Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 42 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 379 (1893).

(;)6 Allen's naturalist's library.

Adult. — Easily distinguished from all the preceding species
by having a bunch of horny bristles at the base of the upper man-
dible ; otherwise much like N. mitrata ; inner webs of the
primaries uniform, or more or less spotted with white * ; upper
half of neck thinly covered with black feathers. Naked skin
on side of head, neck, and wattles blue ; helmet and bristles
pale horn-colour. Total length, 19 inches ; wing, 11 ; tail, 6*4;
tarsus, 3*2 ; middle toe (with claw), 27.

Eange. — Equatorial and North-east i\frica. Tingasi, Shoa,
Abyssinia and Bogos-land lo Suakim, Sennaar, and Kordofan.

Habits.— Mr. W. T. Blanford had many opportunities of study-
ing the habits of this species during his travels in Abyssinia,
and met with it throughout the country from the sea-coast
itself to an altitude of at least 9,000 feet. He says that these
birds keep much to craggy places, especially to rocky valleys,
and often remain during the middle of the day on the sides
of the steep or precipitous hills. They feed either in open fields
or in woods amongst bushes, &:c., in the morning and evening,
and roost at night on high trees, a grove of lofty junipers being
frequently selected for that purpose in the highlands.

Throughout the winter and spring the Guinea-Fowls remain
in large flocks, usually of 200 or 300 birds each. These sub-
divide into smaller flocks to seek food during the day, but keep
to one general tract of country, and unite again at night. Where
not pursued, they are not particularly wary, and but little diffi-
culty is found in getting within gun-shot.

In July and August the flocks divide into pairs, two or three
of which are often found together, and the breeding-season
commences. At this time the birds never appear to collect in
large flocks ; he did not, however, happen to see any of the
roosting-places. He shot a female containing a fully-formed
egg on the 9th August.

* The absence or presence of white spots is apparently purely individual,
ajid has nothing to do with age or sex.

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tllE CRESTED GUIN£A-F0WLS'. 97

The young are probably hatched about the end of August
or beginning of September, as they are full-grown by the end
of the year.

The voice is very similar to that of the Domestic Guinea-
Fowl. The food appears to consist to a larger extent of
seeds and fruits than amongst the Partridges, insects being
apparently but little sought after. In one instance three birds
shot one morning near Halai had been feeding chiefly upon
the small tubers or corms of the Quentee {Cyperus esculenlus).
Their crops also contained seeds and a few fragments of
leaves, but amongst the three only one insect, a bug.

THE CRESTED GUINEA-FOWLS. GENUS GUTTERA.

Gtittera^ Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1225.

Type, G. cristata (Pallas).

A well-developed crest of black feathers covering the top of the
head ; rest of the head and neck naked ; wattles at the angle
of the gape small or well-developed ; a fold of skin at the back
of the neck. Tail moderately long and somewhat rounded,
composed of sixteen feathers. Upper tail-coverts extetiditig
nearly to the end of the tail-feathers.

First primary flight-feather considerably shorter than the
second, which is about equal to the tenth ; fifth a trifle the
longest.

Male 7iot armed with spurs.

Plumage alike in both sexes. General colour black, spotted
with/rt/(? blue; outer webs of outer secondaries margined with
pure white.

I. THE BLACK-COLLARED CRESTED GUINEA-FOWL. GUTTERA
CRISTATA.

Numida cristata, Pallas, Spic. Zool. i. fasc. iv. p. 15, pi. 2 (1767) j
Elliot, Monogr, Phabian. ii. pi. 45 (1872).
12 Ii

9$ Allen's naturalist's library,

Guitera c?'ista'a, Wagler, Isfs, 1832, p. 1225; Ogilvie-Granl,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 381 (1893).
(Plale XXX.)
Adult. — Top of head covered by a full long crest of curling
black feathers ; a black collar confined to the base of the neck,
hardly extending on to the chest ; naked skin on rest of head
and neck cobalt-blue, except the chin and throat, which are
red. Total length, 20 inches; wing, 10-2; tail, 5'i ; tarsus
3*o ; middle toe (with claw), 24.

Range. — West Africa, extending from Sierra Leone to the
Gold Coast.

Hal)its. — Although this Crested Guinea-Fowl is a well-known
bird throughout Liberia, Mr. Biittikofer tells us that it is ex-
tremely difficult to obtain, on account of its extreme shyness
and its aptitude for hiding when met with. On open plains it
was never seen, being always killed in brushwood and high
forest when watching for Antelopes. Occasionally it was caught
in snares placed in narrow passages through the dense brush-
wood. Some of these Guinea-Fowls, kept in confinement by
Mr. H. T. Ussher during his residence in Fantee, appeared to
thrive well, and could probably be domesticated, but he tells us
that they proved a great nuisance amongst other birds, being of
a pugnacious disposition, especially when associated with the
domestic examples of the Common Helmeted Guinea-Fowl.

n. THE black-chested crested guinea-fowl, guttera

EDOUARDI.

Nuniida edouardi^ Hartlaub, J- f- O. 1867, p. 36; id. Ibis,

18,70, p. 444.
Ntiuiida verreauxi^ Elliot, Ibis, 1870, p. 300; id. Monogr

Phasian. ii. pi. 44 (1872).
Nmnida sp., Sclater, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 86, pi. xii.
Guttera cdoitardi^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 382

(1893)'

THE CRESTED GUINEA- FOWLS. 99

Adult. — Distinguished from the last s\)Cq\q^,G. en's fa/a, in hav-
ing the black collar round the base of the neck extended over the
ivhole chesty which is usually more or less washed with chest-
nut. Naked skin on the sides of the head and neck dark
purple, black round the eye, leaden-grey on the throat, and
yellowish-grey round the back of the neck.* Total length, 20
inches; wing, 10-4; tail, 5'i ; tarsus, 3-1; middle toe (with
claw), 27.

Range. — South Africa, extending from Natal and Zulu-land to
the Zambesi at least as far west as the Victoria Falls, and per-
haps westwards to Benguela [see Bocage, J. Ac. Lisb. No. xii.
p. 275 (187 1)], but this requires confirmation.

Habits. — Mr. Ayres tells us that he met with these fine
Guinea-Fowls in the month of July at Durban, Natal, where
they were being hawked about the town by Kafir hunters as
birds for the table, the flesh being most uncommonly delicate
and good. They frequent the dense bush immediately on
the sea range, and are difficult to get. The best method is
with dogs accustomed to hunt the bush, as the birds, when
chased, take to the trees, and a good dog will bark till his
master manages with much trouble to get to the spot through
brambles, thorny bushes, and nettles innumerable, and then, if
due care is taken to approach without noise, the birds may be
potted from the tree, a flying shot being totally out of the ques-
tion. This species appears to be very local, and we gather
from the meagre notes at our disposal that its habits are
extremely similar to those of the Helmeted Guinea-Fowls, to
which it is closely related.

* The exact colours of the naked skin on the sides of the head and neck
have not been satisfactorily ascertained in this species. The throat and
fore-neck are said by Mr. Elliot to be bright red, the sides and back of
neck light blue. It is quite possible that the colours become brighter in
the breeding-season or vary with age, being brightest in the adults. The
colours of these parts should be carefully noted as soon as the birds have
been shot, for they rapidly change after death. It would be easy for
sportsmen in South Africa to settle this point, which is one of considerable
interest to ornithologists.

H 2

lOO ALLEN'S NATURALlST^S LIBRARY.

IIL THE CURLY-CRESTED GUINEA-FOWL. GUTTERA
PUCHERANI,

Numida cristata^ Shaw and Nodder {iiec Pallas), Nat. Misc. pi.

757-
Numida puckerani^ Hartl. J. f. O. i860, p. 341 ; Elliot, Monogr.
Phasian. ii. pi. 46 [naked skin incorrectly coloured]

(.872).

Numida granti, Elliot, P. Z. S. 187 1, p. 584 ; id. Monogr.

Phasian, ii. pi. 43 [blue spots should be continuous to

base of neck] (1872).
Numida ellioti, Bartlett, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 652, pi. Ixv.
Guttera pucherajii, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

383 (1893)-

Adult. — Differs conspicuously from both the preceding
species in having no black collar^ the blue spots being cojitinuous
right up to the base of the naked fieck. Crest full and curly.
Naked skin on the head and throat red, on the back and sides
of the head blue ; wattles red, very small ; fold of skin at the
back of the neck well-developed. Total length, 20 inches ;
wing, IO-8; tail, 5 ; tarsus, 3*6 ; middle toe (with claw), 27.

Eange. — East Africa, extending from Zanzibar northwards to
the Tana River and westwards into the interior.

We are told that this extremely handsome Guinea-Fowl is
only met wiih in the forest along the banks of rivers, but prac-
tically nothing has been published respecting its habits.

IV. THE STRAIGHT-CRESTED GUINEA-FOV/L. GUTTERA
PLUMIFERA.

Numida plumifera^ Cassin, P. Ac. Philad. viii. p. 321 (1856) ;

id. Journ. Ac. Philad. iv. p. 6, pi. 2 (1858); Elliot,

Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 47 (1872).
Guttera plumifera, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

384 (1893).

Adult. — As in the last species, G. pucherani, the spotting is

THE VUr;i'URINE cuixea-fowls. ioi

continuous to the base of the bare neck, but tJie crest is composed
of thin straight featJiers growing upicards, and the wattles are
much larger (about half an inch in length). The naked skin
on the head and neck probably l)luish-purple, but no record of
the colour of the soft parts taken from freshly-killed specimens
is to be found. Total length, 20 inches ; wing, 9*6 ; tail, 4*5 ;
tarsus, 3*o; middle toe (with claw), 2*5.

Range. — West Africa, extending from Cape Lopez to Loango.
Recently recorded from the Cameroons.

Habits. — From the notes given by Mr. Du Chaillu, the original
discoverer of this species, our sole information respecting the
habits of this bird is derived. He writes: — "This bird is not
found in the forests near the sea-shore, but is first met with, as I
afterwards ascertained, about fifty miles east of Sangatanga. It
is very shy, but marches in large flocks through the woods, where
the traveller hears its loud voice. It utters a kind of 'quack,'
hoarse and discordant, like the voices of other Guinea-Fowls.
It avoids the path left by travellers; but its own tracks are met
everywhere in the woods it frequents, as the flock scratch and
tear up the ground wherever they stop. It is strong of wing,
and sleeps by night on the tops of high trees, a flock generally
roosting together on the same tree. When surprised by the
hunter, they do not fly in a body, but scatter in every direction.
Thus it is a difficult bird to get, and the natives do not often
get a shot at it."

THE VULTURINE GUINEA-FOWLS. GENUS ACRYLLIUM.

Acryllium, Gray, List Gen. Birds, p. 61 (1840).

Type, A. vidtiirinum (Hardw.).

Head and upper part of neck naked, except a horse-shoe
shaped band of feathers extending from the ear-coverts i-ound
the ?tape. Plumage of neck, chest, and mantle developed into
lotig, pointed hackles.

I03 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Tail long, wedge-shaped, composed of sixteen feathers, the
middle pair nmch lengtheiied and pointed.

First primary flight-feather shorter than the second, which is
about equal to the ninth ; sixth slightly longest.

Tarsus in male with four or five knobs.

Only one species is known.

I. THE VULTURINE GUINEA-FOWL. ACRYLLTUM VULTURINUM.

Numida vulturina, Hardw. P. Z. S. 1834, p. 52 ; Gould, Icon.

Av. pi. 8 (1837); Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 38

(1872).
Acryllhim vultiirinum, Gray ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.

xxii. p. 385 (1893).

Adult Male. — The band of velvety feathers on nape reddish-
brown ; long hackles of neck, mantle, and chest with white
middles, edged with black and margined with cobalt-blue ;
breast and belly cobalt-blue, black down the middle j sides
and flanks washed with purple ; rest of plumage mostly black,
minutely dotted and spotted with white. Naked parts of head
and neck cobalt-blue. Total length, 30 inches; wing, 12-2;
tail, 1 1 "3; tarsus, 4-1 ; middle toe (with claw), 3.

Adult Female. — Differs only in having no knob-like spurs on
the tarsi, and in being rather smaller than the male.

Range. — East Africa, extending from the Pangani River
northwards to Somali-land and westwards to Kilimanjaro.

Although this remarkably handsome species was first
discovered in 1834, practically nothing is known regarding its
habits. Mr. H. C. V. Hunter, who met with it along the Useri
River, tells us that it frequents dry red soil covered with thorny
bushes; he also found it particularly plentiful on the Tana
River, where, with the exception of the curly crested form
[Guttera pucherani), it was the only Guinea-Fowl observed.

Eggg, — An egg laid in the Gardens of the Zoological Society

THE TURKEYS.

103

of London is nearly white with a shght yellowish-buff tinge;
the shell is rather smooth, with some gloss, and not very deeply
pitted. Measurements, 1-95 by 1-55 inch.

THE TURKEYS. GENUS MELEAGRIF.

Mekagris^ Linn. S. N. i. p. 268 (1766).
Type. M. gallopavo (Linn ).

Head and neck 7iakcd and wattled^ with only a few hair-like
feathers; a^ierectile fleshy process o?i the forehead.

Tail broad and rounded, composed of eighteen feathers, the
middle pair not much longer than the outer.

First primary flight-feather about equal to the tenth, fifth
sh'ghtly the longest. Tarsus considerably longer than the
middle toe and claw, and armed i?i the males with a large stout
si'ur.

I. THE MEXICAN TURKEY. MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO.

Mekagris gallopavo^ Linn. S. N. i. p. 268 (1766); Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit, Mus. xxii. p. 387 (1893).
Mekagris mexicana, Gould, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 61 ; Elliot, B. N.

Amer. ii. pi. 38 (1869); id. Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 32

(1872).
Mekagris gallopavo inexicana^ Bendire, N. Amer. B. p. 116,

pi. iii. fig. 15 [egg] 1892 [part].

Adult Male. — General colour of plumage black and dark
copper-bronze, shot with fiery-green and purplish-bronze. A
tassel-like bunch of long, coarse, black, hair-like feathers on
the middle of the breast ; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers
broadly tipped ivith white, the latter jiever ornamented with
metallic ocelli near the extremity, though the outer feathers
have a slight metallic band across the middle of the sub-
terminal black band ; primary quills equally barred with dark

I04 Allen's naturalist's library.

brown and white ; naked skin on head and neck pale crimson.
Total length, about 43 inches ; wing, 21 ; tail, 155 ; tarsus, 7.

Adult Female. — Smaller and less brightly coloured than the
male, from which it also differs in having a narrow band of
feathers along the middle of the crown to the base of the
small erectile process on the forehead ; no bunch of hair-like
feathers on the breast ; and the whole of the under-parts fringed
with white. Total length, about 40 inches; wing, 17*9; tail,
14*3; tarsus, 5*3.

Range. — Table-lands of North Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico,
and Western Texas.

HaMts. — It is from the Mexican form that our domestic
breed of Turkeys has been derived. There appears to be no
doubt that at the time of the Conquest these birds were
regularly reared in captivity by the Mexicans, and were
brought to Europe early in the sixteenth century either direct
from Mexico or from the West Indian Islands, where they had
been previously introduced.

The Mexican Turkey, according to Captain Bendire, is more
of a mountain-loving species than the Eastern bird, and is still
reasonably abundant in the wilder portions of Western Texas,
the Territories of New Mexico and Arizona, and is very
common in portions of Mexico. He believes that this species
attains a greater size than M. americana^ as he shot a speci-
men weighing twenty-eight pounds after being drawn, and
was informed that much heavier birds are occasionally
killed. This he could readily believe, having seen tracks
of this species along the banks of the San Pedro River,
in Arizona, measuring between five and six inches in length,
and unquestionably made by a much larger bird than the one
he had killed. Mr. Herbert Brown, of Tucson, Arizona,
remarks : — " Without knowing it positively, I am of the
belief that they raise two broods of young every season, as
I have seen almost all sizes in the mating-season (October),

THE TURKEYS. I05

when they congregate in large numbers in the caiions to feed
on ballotes^ a small bitter acorn, common to the canons and
parks of Southern Arizona and southward. I have seen their
roosting-places at night, in sycamore {Alisn) trees ; I also saw
one in an oak grove on the side of a hill, but they appear more
to favour the canons. On the head-waters of the Santa
Dominga I have seen not less than fifty or sixty in a bunch,
and Turkey, in those days, was a common camp fare. I have
been told by Mexicans that coyotes catch Turkeys by running
in circles under their roosting tree till the birds get dizzy with
watching them, and fall down. I never saw it done, but have
been assured that it is a fact."

" The mating-season," Avrites Captain Bendire, "commences,
according to latitude, from March ist to the middle of April,
by which time some of the birds commence nesting.

"They are summer residents in the higher mountain ranges,
reaching an altitude of from 8,000 to 10,000 feet, and retiring
to the more sheltered canons and the timbered river valleys
in the late fall, congregating at such times in large flocks.

"The Mexican Turkey, like the Eastern species, is poly-
gamous, and the female attends exclusively to the duties of
incubation, which lasts about four weeks, the male not only
not assisting, but, according to observations made by Lieut.
J. M. F. Partello, Fifth Infantry, U.S. Army, often destroying
the eggs and the tender young."

Nest. — No doubt similar to that of the sub-species M. ellioti,
which is described below.

Eggs. — Creamy-white, spotted and dotted over the entire
shell with reddish-brown. Average measurements, 27 by i 9
inches.

suB-sp. a. Elliot's turkey, meleagris elltoti.

Meleagris gallopavo eilioH, Sennett, Auk, 1892, p. 167, pi.
iii,

To6 alt.en's naturalist's library.

Meleagris gallopavo mexicana^ Bendire, N. Am. B. p. ii6

(1892) [part].
Meleagris eUiofi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 388

(1893)-
Adult Male. — Differs from typical M. gallopavo in having the
feathers of the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail tipped with
pale rufous-biiff^ though it must be remarked that the colour
of these parts varies greatly in different individuals from the
same locality, one being nearly chestnut while another is pale
whitish-buff. The white bars on the primary quills are much
narrower.

Adult Female. — Like the female of M. gallopavo^ but the tail-
coverts, tail, &c., tipped with rufous-buff as in the male.

Eange.— Vera-Cruz and Tamaulipas, in Eastern Mexico, and
South-western Texas.

Nest. — Captain Gosse describes a nest of this sub-species
found in Southern Texas as being a coarse structure not very
deeply excavated, lined with grass, weeds, and leaves, and
placed in quite an open situation in open bushy country, but
well concealed by a few small bushes and bunches of growing
grass.

Eggs. — Eleven were found by Captain Gosse.

II. THE AMERICAN TURKEY. MELEAGRIS AMERICANA.

Meleagris americana, Bartram, Trav. p. 290 (1791); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 389 (1893).

Meleagris palawa, Barton, Med. and Phys. J. ii. pt. i. pp.
163, 164 (1805).

Meleagris silvestris, Vieillot, N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. ix. p. 447

(1817).
Meleagris fera, Vieillot, Gal. Ois. ii. p. 10, pi. 201 (1825),
Meleagris gallopavo, Bonap. {nee Linn.), Am. Orn. i. p. 79,

pi. ix. (1825) ; Aud. Orn. Biogr. i. pp. i and -^^^ pis. i. and

THE TURKEYS. IG7

vi. (1831); id. B. Amcr. v. p. 42, pis. 287, 288 (1842);
Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 30 (1872); Bendire, N.
Am. B. p. 112, pi. iii. fig. 14 (1892 ; part).

Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from Af. gallopavo in having
the lower rump, flanks, upper and under tail-coverts, and
tail-feathers tipped with deep chestnut-maroon^ and the white
bars of the primary quills rather narrower, but as wide, or
nearly as wide, as the dark interspaces.

Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but distinguished by
having the feathers of the lower back and under-parts fringed
with chestnut, those of the nape extending to the crown, and
the pectoral tassel and spurs wanting.

Habits. — " The breeding range of the Wild Turkey, the
largest and finest of our game-birds, is yearly becoming more
and more restricted, and at the present rate of decrease its
total extinction east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio
River is only a question of a few years. . . .

"The Wild Turkey is a resident wherever found. Numerous
records attest the abundance of this magnificent game-bird
throughout the Southern New England States in former years,
and evidences of its existence have been found in Southern
Maine.

" The Wild Turkey is essentially a woodland bird, and in-
habits the damp and often swampy bottom lands along the
borders of the larger streams, as well as the drier mountainous
districts found within its range, spending the greater part of
the day on the ground in search of food, and roosting by night
in the tallest trees to be found. From constant persecution
in the more settled portions of its range, it has become by far
the most cunning, suspicious, and wary of all our game-birds,
while in sections of the Indian Territory and Texas, where it
has, till recently, been but little molested, it is still by no means
a shy bird. . . .

"These birds feed on beechnuts, acorns (especially those of

io8 Allen's naturalist's library.

the white c.nd chinquapin oaks), chestnuts, pecan-nuts, black
persimmons, tunas (the fruit of the prickly-pear), leguminous
seeds of various kinds, all the cultivated grains, different wild
berries and grapes, and the tender tops of plants ; also grass-
hoppers, crickets, and other insects. The actions of the
gobbler during the mating-season, while paying court to the
female, are similar to those of the Domestic Turkey, and well
enough known to need no description. . . .

"The call-notes of the Wild Turkey resemble those of the
domesticated bird very much ; still they differ somewhat. In
feeding, the usual note is 'quitt, quitt,' or ' pit, pit.' When
caUing each other it is ' keow, keow, kee, kee keow, keow,'
and a note uttered when alarmed suddenly sounds somewhat
like 'cut — cut.'" {Bendire)

Nest.— A slight depression in the ground, either at the foot
of a tree or under a thick bush, and more or less lined with
dead leaves and grass.

jiggs, — Vary in number from eight to thirteen, but ten is
probably the general number. Occasionally two hens lay in
the same nest. Mr. G. E. Beyer writes :—" On May 25tli,
1888, I found a nest with twenty-six eggs ; one hen sitting
on the nest, and one standing by. I think both hens kept the
same nest."

SUr,-SP. a. THE FLORIDA TURKEY. MELEAGRIS OSCEOLA.

Mehagris gallopavo osceola, Scott, Auk, 1890, p. 376.
Mekagris osceola, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 390

(1893)-
Adult Male.— Differs from the typical M. americana in having
the white bands on the quills ve7j narrow, much narrower
than the dark interspaces, and the tips of the tail-feathers paler
chestnut.

Range. — Florida, United States of America.
HaMts. — Dr. William L. Ralph, of Utica, New York, writes : —
' Fifteen years ago I found the Wild Turkey abundant in

tHE ttJRKEYS. locj

most parts of Florida, north of Lake Okeechobee, with per-
haps the exception of the Indian River region, but they have
gradually decreased in numbers since then, and though still
common in places where the country is wild and unsettled,
they are rapidly disappearing from those parts, in the vicinity
of villages and navigable waters.

"One can hardly believe that the Wild Turkeys of to-day
are of the same species as those of fifteen or twenty years ago.
Then they were rather stupid birds, which it did not require much
skill to shoot, but now I do not know of a game-bird or mammal
more alert or more difficult to approach. Formerly, I have often,
as they were sitting in trees on the banks of some stream, passed
very near them, both in row-boats and in steamers, without
causing them to fly, and I once, with a party of friends, ran a
small steamer within twenty yards of a flock, which did not
take wing until several shots had been fired at them. . . .
These birds, though resident, are given to wandering a great
deal, and do not, like the Bob Whites, become attached to any
particular locality. At times they will remain in a favourable
place for weeks, but they are very uncertain, and will often
leave such a spot for no apparent reason. When they are
molested, or when there is a scarcity of food, they will keep in
motion most of the time during the day, and will often travel
many miles in a few hours.

" Wild Turkeys usually go in flocks, consisting of from two
or three to fifteen or twenty birds, and are also occasionally
found singly. Small flocks and single birds are more apt to
be found now than formerly, and the large droves, consisting
of several flocks associating together, are seldom if ever to be
seen of late. Their favourite places of resort are woods with
swamps in them or in their vicinity, and they always go to
these swamps to roost or when molested.

" These birds are polygamous, and the female takes all the
cares and duties of incubation upon herself. The gobblers
are very pugnacious, and will often fight fiercely for the favours

no ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

of the hens. The love-season begins in Florida about the
middle of February and lasts for about three months, and
during this period the gobblers frequently utter their call and
are then easily decoyed within gun-shot. Native hunters have
informed me that the hens roost by themselves at this season
of the year."

Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of M. america7ia described
above.

in. THE HONDURAS TURKEY. MELEAGRIS OCELLATA.

Melcagris ocel/ata, Cuv. Mem. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. vi. p. i, pi. i.
(1820); Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 16 [No. 112] (1824); Elliot,
Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 33 (1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 391 (1893).
Meleagris aureus, Vieillot, Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. p. 361 (1823).
(Plate XXXI.)
Adult Male. — Feathers of mantle, scapulars, chest, and
flanks brass-green, shading into purplish-black towards the
extremity, which is margined by a deep black line and fringed
with greenish-copper ; ends of upper tail-coverts and ocelli on
tail-feathers greenish-blue, shot with purple ; tail-feathers widely
mat-gined ivith rich reddish-copper changing to green; breast
and belly black, margined with copper-red. Naked skin of head
and neck blue, scarlet round the eye, and ornamented with red
warts, the largest being situated between the eyes ; erectile
fleshy process on forehead blue. Tarsus armed with a long,
stout, sharp spur. Total length, about -^^i inches ; wing, 14*2 ;
tail, 13-1 ; tarsus, 4-4.

Adult Female. — Like the male, but less brilliantly coloured, and
the ocelli at the ends of the tail-feathers much reduced ; the
erectile process very small, and the great spurs represented
by small wart-like knobs. Total length, about T^^i inches ;
wing, 14-2 ; tail, 13-1 ; tarsus, 4*4.

Range.— Central America; Guatemala, Yucatan, and British
Honduras.

PLATE XZXl

HONDURAS TURKEY.

THE TURKEYS, III

Habits. — The only notes on the habits of this fine species are
the following, furnished by Mr.F. Gaumer : — "The Spanish name
for this bird is Pavo del Monte. It is occasionally seen within
five leagues of Merida, but cannot be said to be common west
of Espita. East of Espita it is often seen in the corn-fields in
small fiocks of from six to ten. I have discovered a locality
ten leagues to the north and east of Valladolid, where it may be
said to be common. This is the region depopulated since the
emigration of the Indians nearly half a century ago ; no one
lives there now, and the Meleagris is the proud ruler of the
forest. It is one of the wildest and shyest of birds, extremely
cautious in its movements, and ever on the alert for a hidden
enemy ; it flies with the greatest rapidity at the sight of man,
regardless of distance. When met with in open land it takes
flight, rising with a heavy flutter peculiar to the family, and
after mounting a few yards sails away with set wings to such a
distance that the hunter never cares to follow. During the
breeding-season, which is in May and June, the male makes a
peculiar drumming noise, very deep and sonorous ; after this
he utters his peculiar song, which resembles the rapid pecking
of a distant Woodpecker or the song of the great Bull Toad.
On discovering a dreaded object, he utters a peculiar cluck
and ghdes away with a proud movement, which seems to defy
the world; and if the object moves, he darts away with head-
long speed. The natives believe that this bird sees the image of
its enemies in its plumage even before they are visible to the
eye of the bird. However this may be, it is a bird of extra-
ordinary caution and vision. Its flesh is held in the highest
esteem by the natives, who hunt it unceasingly on this
account. In Merida a specimen sells at from $i to $2
dressed; and from $8 to $10 when alive. It is not easily
domesticated, and rarely lives more than a few months.^'

Eggs. — Perfectly similar to those of the Common Turkey,
but rather smaller. Measurements, 2*4 by i-8 inches.

112 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

THE AMERICAN PARTRIDGES AND QUAILS.
SUB-FAMILY ODONTOPHORIN^.

The following genera of American Partridges and Quails
are distinguished from all the Fhasiafiidce previously described
by having the cutting edge of the lower mandible serrated,
and together form the Sub-family Odontophorince (see vol. i. p.
78). They vary considerably in size, some, such as Dend7'ortyXy
being as large as the Common Partridge or slightly larger,
while others are smaller than the Common Quail. In some
instances the tooth-like process on the lower mandible is less
distinct, but in the great majority of species it is easily recog-
nised.

THE LONG-TAILED AMERICAN PARTRIDGES. GENUS
DENDRORTYX.

Dendroriyx, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pi. 20 in pt. i. (1844);
Introd. p. 20 (1850).

Type, D. macriirus (J. & S.).

Plumage alike in both sexes.

A short crest ; a naked space round the eye.

First primary flight-feather much shoi'ter than the tenth ; fifth
longest.

Tail as long, or nearly as long as the wing, wedge-shaped,
composed of twelve feathers, the middle pair being much longer
than the outer pair.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Bill very stout and short.

Three rather large species about the size of the common
Grey Partridge are known.

I. THE LONG-TAILED PARTRIDGE. DENDRORTYX MACRORUS.

Ortyx macroura, Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn. i. text to pi. 38
and pi. 49 (1S25-39).

THE LONC-'IAILED AMERICAN PARTRIDGES. II3

Tetrao marmorata^ La Llavc, Reg. Trim. i. p. 144 (183 1) ; id.

La Nat. Mex. vii. App. p. 65 (1884).
Dendrortyx viacrouruSy Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 2c

(1844); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 392

(1893)-

Adult Male — Chin and throat black (feathers of the chin
sometimes with whitish centres) ; short eyebrow-stripes and
band bordering sides of throat white ; neck, mantle, chest, and
sides chestnut broadly edged with grey ; lower back and rump
dull olive-brown finely mottled with black ; wing-coverts and
shoulder- feathers mostly olive-grey, with irregular black and
white spots and markings ; breast and middle of belly dirty-
white or brownish-olive ; naked space round the eye coral-red.
Total length, 15 inches; wing, 6- 2,; tail, 6-5 ; tarsus, 2; middle
toe and claw, 2*1.

Adult Female. — Smaller. Total length, 13-3 inches; wing,
5-9; tail, 5"3; tarsus, 175; middle toe and claw, i-8.

Range. — Southern Mexico; the highlands of Colima, Guer-
rero, and Oaxaca.

II. THE BEARDED LONG-TAILED PARTRIDGE. DENDRORTYX
BARBATUS.

Dendrortyx harhatns, Licht.; Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii.

pi. 22 (1846) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

393 (1893)-
Adult. — Easily distinguished from D, macrourus by having
the chin and throat gi^ey ; eyebrow-stripes and cheeks dark
grey ; chest, breast, and sides of belly light chestnut. Naked
skin round the eye red. Total length, 13*5 inches ; wing, 6*2;
tail, 4*8; tarsus, 1-95 ; middle toe and claw, 2-1.

Eange. — South-east Mexico; the vicinity of Jalapa, Vera
Cruz.

12 I

114 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

in. THE WHITE-EYEBROWED LONG-TAILED PARTRIDGE.
DENDRORTVX LEUCOPHRYS.

Ortyx kjicophrys, Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, P- 132.
Dendrortyx leucoph?ys^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi.
21 (1846); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 394

(1893).

Adult. — Forehead, eyebrow-stripe, chin, and upper-part of
throat ivhite ; feathers on lower part of throat, neck, and mantle
grey, with chestnut centres edged on either side with black ;
breast and under-parts dusky-grey, with a well-marked rufous
stripe down the middle of each feather. Naked skin round
the eye orange-red. Total length, i3*6 inches; wing, 6; tail,
57 ; tarsus, 2'i.

Range. — Highlands of Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Habits. — Dr. A. Von Frantzius informs us that this beautiful
Wood Partridge is called "Chirascua" on account of its peculiar
cry, which is heard before sunset. It is frequently met with in
the neighbourhood of thick forests, and is much sought after
on account of its savoury flesh, but, being very wild, is diffi-
cult to shoot. A specimen which was kept for a long while in
a cage remained shy and wild to the last. It is often met with
in the Poas, Candelaria, and Dota Mountains.

Eggs. — Oval and Grouse-like, reddish-buff, spotted and dotted
with reddish-brown. Measurements, 175 by 1*25 inch.

THE SCALY PARTRIDGES. GENUS CALLIPEPLA.

Callipepla^ Wagler, Isis, 1832, pp. 277, 1229.
Type, C. sqmDuata (Vigors).

Sexes almost similar in plumage. Crest short, not extending
much beyond the feathers of the head.

First primary flight-feather about equal in length to the
eighth ; fourth longest.

THE SCALY PARTRIDGES. II5

Tail about three-fourths of the length of the wing, and conv
posed of fourteen feathers.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and elaw.
Only two small forms are known.

I. THE SCALY PARTRIDGE. CALLIPEPLA SQUAiMATA.

Ortyx squamatus. Vigors, Zool. Journ. v. p. 275 (1830).
Tetrao cristaia, La Llave, Reg. Trim. i. p. 144 (1831); id.

Nat. Mex. vii. App. p. 65 (1884).
Callipepla stremia^ Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 278.
Callipepla squamata, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi 19

(1844); Cassin, 111. B. Calif, p. 129, pi. xix. (1853);

Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 18, pi. i. figs. 4, 5 [eggs] (1892);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 395 (1893).
Callipepla squamata pallida^ Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vi.

p. 72(1881).

Adult Male. — General colour above grey, browner on the wings
and lower back, each feather of the neck, mantle, chest, and
sides of breast edged with black, giving these parts a scaled
appearance ; throat and middle of breast and belly, whitish-buff;
no dark chestnut patch iii the middle of the belly. Total length,
10 inches; wing, 4*8; tail, 3-6; tarsus, 1-2; middle toe and
claw, 1-35.

Adult Female. — Differs slightly in having dusky shaft-stripes
to the feathers of the throat, and in being slightly smaller than
the male.

Range. — New Mexico, Arizona, Western Texas, and North
and Central Mexico, from Chihuahua and San Luis Potosi, as
far south as the city of Mexico.

Habits. — "The Scaled Partridge, usually called the Blue Quail
and also the White Top-knot Quail, is a constant resident in
South-western Texas from about latitude 28° northward along;
the valley of the Rio Grande, as well as in a considerable por-

I 2

ii6 Allen's naturalist's library.

tion of New Mexico and Southern x^iizona, extending south
into Mexico. . . .

"According to my own observations, the Scaled Partridge is
found most abundantly on the high plateaus bordering on the
principal streams of the regions under consideration, reaching
an altitude of from 1,500 to nearly 7,000 feet. It shuns tim-
bered country, and in Southern Arizona, where I have frequently
met with these birds, they seemed to me to prefer the most
barren and dryest portions of that scantily-watered territory.
I invariably found them back in the foot-hills and mesas, from
two to five miles distant from the river beds, which are generally
dry for the greater part of the year. . . .

''From the repelling nature of the country it generally
frequents, it is naturally hunted very little ; still, I found it
exceedingly shy and wary, and very difficult to approach, far
more so than Gambel's Partridge. It prefers to trust almost en-
tirely to its legs for escape, and is generally successful, being an
expert and swift runner, dodging in and out among the bushes
with great ease and dexterity, and is consequently soon lost to
sight. The covey generally follow a leader, Indian-file fashion.
Its habits seem, however, to differ somewhat in other parts
of its range." {Bendire)

Mr. E. W. Nelson furnishes the following observations
about this species. He says : — " In many instances I have
found them far from water, but they make regular visits to the
watering-places. . . . They are very difficult to flush,
owing to the rapidity with which they run through the bushes
and other vegetation. When flushed, they scatter, and aftei
flying a short distance, alight, and run on as before. As soon
as the alarm is over, the old birds reassemble the flock by a
low call-note.

" In the latter part of summer and early fall they gather into
coveys, often containing several broods, as I observed in 1882,
in the valley of the Gila River, near Clifton, Arizona. At this
season they frequented the low bare hill-sides or the now dry

ttlE SCALY PARTRIDGES. II7

water-courses and the fields adjoining these, associating with
Gambel's Partridge. They are easily trapped in the fall and
winter, and many are caught by the natives and taken to the
markets of the larger towns of New Mexico and Arizona."

Mr. William Lloyd writes from Marfa, Texas, as follows : —
" The Blue Quails love a sandy table-land, where they spend
considerable time in taking sand-baths. I have often watched
them doing so, pecking and chasing each other like a brood of
young Chickens. Good clear water is a necessity to them.
They are local, but travel at least three miles for water. In
the evenings they retire to the smaller ridges or hillocks, and
their calls are heard on all sides as the scattered covey collects.
Several times I have seen packs numbering from sixty to
eighty, but coveys from twenty-five to thirty are much oftener
noticed."

Nest. — Placed on the ground under the shelter of a small
bush, in corn- and grain-fields, in meadows, potato-fields, or
almost barren flats. {Bendire.)

Eggs. — Vary from nine to sixteen, but eleven or twelve are
generally found. Pale creamy-white to pale buff, finely dotted
or spotted all over with reddish-brown, vinaceous-buff, or fawn-
colour in different sets. Average measurement, 1-3 by i inch.

SUB-SP. a. THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED SCALY PARTRIDGE.
CALLIPEPLA CASTANEIVENTER.

CalHpepla squamata castanogastris, Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn.

Club, viii. p. 34 (1883); Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 22, pi. i.

figs. 6, 7 [eggs] (1892).
C.illipepla castaneiventer^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.

p. 396 (1893).
Adult Male. — Differs from the typical C. squamata in having
the middle of the breast and belly deeper buff or ochreous ; a
dark reddish-chestnut patch on the middle of the belly.

Adult Female. — The chestnut patch on the middle of the belly
absent or rudimentary.

ii8 Allen's naturalist's library.

Range. — Tamaulipas, North-eastern Mexico, and the lower
Rio Grande Valley, Texas.

'' The general habits of the Chestnut-bellied Scaled Par-
tridge, as well as its food, are very similar to those of the pre-
ceding sub-species. The mating- and nesting-season, however,
commences somewhat earlier." {Ben dire.)

Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of C. squamata.

THE PLUMED PARTRIDGES. GENUS OREORTYX.

Oreorfyx, Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 642 (i86o).
Type, 0. pidus (Dougl ).

Sexes almost similar in plumage. A crest of two very long
feathers.

First primary flight-feather intermediate ifi length between
the seventh and eighth ; third or fourth slightly the longest.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, and about three-fifths of
the length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Only one species, rather larger than the Common Quail, is
known.

I. THE PLUMED PARTRIDGE OR MOUNTAIN QUAIL.
OREORTYX PICTUS.

Ortyx picta^ Douglas, Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 143 (1823);

Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn. ii. pi. 107.
Ortyxplumifera^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 42 ; Aud. B. Amer.

V. p. 69, pi. 291 (1842).
Oreortyx pictiis, Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 642 (i860); Bendire,

N. Amer. B. p. 13 (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.

Mus. xxii. p. 397 (1893).
Oreortyx pidus pluniif ems ^ Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 14, pi. i. figs..

2, 3 [eggs] (1892).
Adult Male. — Creast of two very long black feathers ; head, ?teckj

THE PLUMED PARTRIDGES. lIQ

mantle^ and breast slate-grey ; rest of upper-parts mostly olive-
brown ; throat and fore-neck dejp chestnut margined by a
white band ; a blnck patch on the cheek ; belly chestnut, shad-
ing into pale buff; flanks barred with chestnut, white, and
black. Total length, 9*6 inches ; wing, 5*2 ; tail, ^'2> ') tarsus,
1-4 ; middle toe and claw, i*6.

Adult Female. — Differs as a rule in having the olive-brown con-
tinued up the hack of the neck to the crest^ but in some examples
the upper mantle is more or less washed with grey.

Range. — Western States of North America ; extending north-
wards to Washington Territory, southwards through California
to Cape St. Lucas, and westward to Eastern Nevada.

HaMts.— Mr. Charles A. Allen, writing to Captain Bendire,
says : — " I find this Partridge all through the Sierras. In the
spring many go up to the snow-line, returning in the fall below
the point of snowfall. These vertical migrations are performed
entirely on foot, unless streams must be crossed, when they take
to their wings, but alight at once on gaining the opposite side,
and continue their travels on foot."

Captain Bendire writes : — " The mating-season begins in the
latter part of March and the beginning of April, according to
latitude and altitude. The call-note of the male is a clear
whistle, like * whu-ie-whu-ie,' usually uttered from an old stump,
the top of a rock, or a bush. When alarmed, a note like ' quit-
quit' is used. In the higher mountains but a single brood is
raised ; but in the lower foot-hills they rear two broods occa-
sionally, the male caring for the first one while the female is
busy hatching the second.

" I met with a brood of young birds, perhaps a week or ten
days old, near Jacksonville, Oregon, on June 17, 1883. The
male, in whose charge they were, performed the usual tactics
of feigning lameness, and tried his very best to draw my atten-
tion away from the young, uttering meantime a shrill sound
resembling ' quaih-quaih,' and showed a great deal of distress,

120 Allen's naturalist's library.

seeing I paid no attention to him. The young, already hand-
some and active little creatures, scattered promptly in all direc-
tions, and the majority were most eftectually hidden in an
instant. As nearly as I was able to judge they numbered
eleven. I caught one, but after examining it turned it loose
again. The feathers of the crest already showed very plainly.

" Their food consists of insects, the buds and tender tops of
leguminous plants, small seeds, and berries of various kinds."

Nest. — Generally on the ground among a collection of dead
leaves, and well concealed by bushes or ferns, while a favourite
site is said to be beneath the fallen tops of pine trees left by
wood-cutters. Occasionally nests are met with on the tops of
old decayed tree-stumps.

Eggs. — Generally from eight to twelve in number, but some-
times as many as sixteen may be found. The colour varies
from pale cream to reddish-buff, and the shell is devoid of
markings. Average measurements, 1-38 by i'o6 inch.

THE CALIFORNIAN QUAILS. GENUS LOPIIORTYX.

Lophortyx^ Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. and N. Amer. pp. 42,
43 (1838).

Type, Z. californicus (Shaw and Nodder).

Plumage of sexes different. Crest in both sexes extending
much beyond the feathers of the head.

First primary flight-feather iniermedi.ite in letigth between
the eighth and ninth ; fourth generally slightly longer than the
third and fifth.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, and about three-fourths of
the length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Three species about the size of the Common Quail are
known.

THE CALIFORNIAN QUAILS. 121

I. THE CALIFORNIAN QUAIL. LOPHORTYX CALIFORNICUS.

Tetrao califoniicus, Shaw and Nodder, Nat. Misc. ix. p. 345

(1797?).
Ortyx californicns, Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. i. pi. 38, ii. pi.

107 ; Aud. B. Amer. v. p. 67, pi. 290 (1842).
Callipepla califoriiica^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 16

(1844); Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 23, pi. i. figs 8-10 [eggs]

(1892).
Lophortyx californicus, Bonap. ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.

Mus. xxii. p. 400 (1893).
LopJiortyx californicus brunncscens^ Ridgw. P. Biol. Soc. Wash.

ii. p. 94 (1884).
Callipepla californica vallicola, Ridgw. P. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii.

p. 355 (1886) ; Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 26 (1892).

Adult Male. — Crest of black club-shaped feathers ; throat and
cheeks blacky margined by a white band ; eyebrow-stripes and
a band between the eyes white ; sides and back of neck grey,
margined with black and spotted with white ; mantle, chest,
and tail grey ; lower back and rump greyish olive-brown ; wing
rather darker ; middle of breast buff, shading into chestnut on
the belly, and both margined with black ; sides olive-grey. Total
length, 97 inches ; wing, 4-4 ; tail, 3-6 ; tarsus, 1-25 ; middle
toe and claw, 1-45.

Adult Female. — Crest shorter and browner; no black and white
pattern on head ; throat white, with dark shaft-stripes ; neck,
mantle, and chest broivnish-gi'ey ; under-parts white, tinged
with buff on the belly ; sides and flanks olive-brown. Slightly
smaller.

Range.— Western States of North America, extending north to
Washington, south as far as Cape St. Lucas, Lower California,
and eastwards to Nevada. It has been introduced into various
parts of the world.

Habits.— " Their favourite haunts," says Prof. O. B. Johnson,
"are the undergrowth and thickets along water-courses, brush

122 Allen's naturalist's librarv.

covered side hills, and caiions, and they frequent the roads,
cultivated fields, vineyards, and edges of clearings to feed.
It is a constant resident, and breeds wherever found.

" The mating time commences early in March, sometimes
later, depending on the season. Then the large packs into
which this species gathers in the fall of the year, break up
gradually, each pair of birds selecting a suitable nesting-site.
In the more densely settled portions of California, this Partridge
is by no means as common now as it was a decade ago, when
it was not unusual to see packs numbering five hundred and
more together, while now, at least near the larger cities, coveys
even of fifty birds are rarely seen. In localities where it is
not constantly harassed and hunted, the Californian Partridge
becomes surprisingly tame and confiding, in fact almost domes-
ticated; and under such circumstances many nest close to
houses and out-buildings and in the shrubbery of gardens ad-
joining human habitations.

" The young run about as soon as they are hatched. Usually
but one brood is raised, occasionally two. In the latter case
the male takes charge of the young when they are about three
weeks old, the female then laying the eggs for the second.
Downy young have been observed as early as the 20th of May
in the southern portions of their range, and some broods are
undoubtedly hatched still earlier. In the fall, when the young
are full-grown and able to shift for themselves, they collect
in large packs, a number of coveys associating together until
the spring. They are much shyer then, and more difficult to
approach. The usual call-note, when one of these packs be-
comes scattered, is a rather unmusical * ca-ape, ca-ape,' the
last syllable drawn out ; another note, like ' ka-kaah,' is also
used on such occasions."

Mr. A. W. Anthony writes about the Lower California birds
as follows : — " I found the Valley Partridge (Californian Quail)
very common in the mountains of Lower California, up to an/
altitude of about 9,000 feet. Both in Southern and Lower

TlIK CAT.IFORNIAN QUAILS- 1 23

California 1 was told by the Indians and native Mexicans
that during very dry seasons the Valley Quail did not nest,
but remained in large flocks during the entire summer. This
statement I was able to verify by personal observations during
the summer of 1887. These birds were seen by me in large
flocks throughout the spring and summer months, and only
two or three broods of young were noticed. Birds taken
during April, May, and June showed but little development of
the ovaries. Should the winter rains, however, be sufficient
to insure an abundance of seeds and grasses, the coveys begin
to break up early in March, and from every hill in the land
the loud challenge of the male is heard. ... By far the
most common call at all seasons is one resembling ' ca-ra-ho,'
repeated four or five times, and the accent shifted from one
syllable to another as suits the fancy of the performer."

Mr. William Proud, writing from Butte County, California,
informs Captain Bendire as follows : — " In early seasons they
begin to pair in the last week of February, but the time
varies somewhat according to the season. During this period
there is considerable fighting among the males for the favour
of the coveted female. This is kept up until all are suit-
ably mated and the nesting-season arrives. This usually
begins here about the last week in March, when the pairs
scatter among the shrubbery along the banks of creeks
and in adjacent ravines, along hedgerows and brush fences,
and on the borders of cultivated fields. The earliest nest I
ever found was on March 15th, and on April 15th I met
young birds probably a couple of days old. I consider four-
teen eggs to be about the average number laid by these birds,
and have found as many as twenty-four in a nest. The large
sets I attribute to other hens laying in the nest, probably young
birds which have failed to make preparation for their own eggs.
On May 21 my dog pointed a Valley Partridge on a nest
which contained twenty-two eggs, and every one hatched.

" During incubation the male is very attentive and watchful,

124 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIDRARY.

usually taking an elevated position near the nest, where, with
crest erect, and tail spread, he bids defiance to all intruders,
uttering an oft-repeated ' whew-whew-whew.' When the brood-
ing hen leaves the nest to feed, should he be absent from the
post of duty, her cry of ' tobacco, tobacco,' very plainly given,
brings him up at once. In fact their call-notes are very varied.
I frequendy heard an old cock call out at night * ah-hooh, ah-
hooh,' the first note in a low key."

Nest. — Generally a slight hollow scratched in the ground
and slightly lined. The situation varies greatly. The shelter
afforded by a rock, log, or old stump, small bush, bunch ot
weeds or grass, is usually selected, but occasionally a perfectly
open situation is chosen, and even trees are sometimes re-
sorted to, the fork formed by two large branches, or the up-
right end of a broken decayed limb being chosen as a site.

Eggs- — Generally from twelve to sixteen in number, but some-
times many more are found, probably the result of two hens
laying in the same nest. Ground-colour creamy-white, some-
times buff, spotted and dotted, or blotched all over with
reddish-brown or olive-drab. Average measurements, 1*28 by
I inch.

II. gambel's quail, lophortyx gambeli.

Lophortyx gambeli\ Nutt. ; Gambel, P. Ac. Philad. 1843, P-
260; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 403 (1893).

Callipepla veftusta, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 70.

CalUpepIa gambeli, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 1 7
(1850); Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 29, pi. i. figs. 11-14
[eggs] (1892).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from the male of L. call-
fornicus by having the back of the head chestnut ; no white
spots on the back of the neck ; the chest-feathers with dark
shafts ; the middle of the belly black ; ?w black margins to the
feathers of the breast and belly, and the sides deep chestnut^

THE CALIFORNIAN QUAILS. I25

with white centres. Total length, 9*8 inches; wings, 5; tail,
4; tarsus, 1*3; middle toe and claw, i'55.

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of Z. californicus in
having the crest considerably more developed ; 710 white spots
on the back of the neck ; the chest-feathers with dark shafts ;
no black margins to the feathers of the breast and belly, and
the fianks chestnut with white centres. Rather smaller in size.

Range. — Western States of North America ; extending north
to Utah, south to the State of Sonora, North Mexico, west-
ward to South California, and east to Arizona and Western
Texas.

Habits. — From Captain Bendire's splendid work, " Life
Histories of North American Birds," the following notes on
this species are taken : — •" Wherever water is found, Gambel's
Partridge is common throughout Southern Arizona up to
an altitude of 5,000 feet; and in New Mexico Mr. W. H.
Cobb, of Albuquerque, informs me that he met with young
fledglings in the pine forests at an altitude of 8,000 to
9,000 feet. . , . During the mating- and breeding-season,
the former commencing usually in the latter part of February,
the latter about the first week in April, and occasionally
later, according to the season, the male frequently utters a
call like ' yuk-kae-ja, yuk-kae-ja,' each syllable distinctly
articulated and the last two somewhat drawn out. A trim,
handsome, and proud - looking cock, whose more sombre-
coloured mate had a nest close by, used an old mesquite
stump, about four feet high, and not more than twenty feet
from my tent, as his favourite perch, and I liad many excellent
opportunities to watch him closely. Standing perfectly erect,
with his beak straight up in the air, his tail slightly spread, and
wings somewhat drooping, he uttered this call in a clear strong
voice every few minutes for half an hour or so, or until dis-
turbed by something, and this he repeated several times a day.
I consider it a call of challenge, or of exultation, and it was

126 aut.n's naturalist's library.

taken up usually by any other male in the vicinity at the time.
During the mating-season the males fight with each other per-
sistently, and the victor defends his chosen home against in-
trusion with much valour. . . .

" During the intense heat of the Arizona summers, Gambel's
Quail, like most other birds, prefers to remain in the shady
and cool spots in the creek bottoms, frequently perching in
the trees, and I believe the majority of these birds spend the
nights in them as well. They take to trees very readily at all
times."

Nest. — A slight hollow scratched in the ground, usually lined
with bits of dry grass and sheltered by dead grass or old
brush; sometimes placed among grain-fields. Occasionally
nests are found in situations above the ground, the top of a
rotten stump or an old nest of some other species being made
use of.

Eggs. — Generally from ten to twelve in number, but much
larger numbers are sometimes found, no doubt the p"oiuct of
more than one hen. Ground-colour creamy-white or pale-buff,
spotted, clouded, or blotched with reddish-brown or dark
brown. Average measurements, 1*26 by -96,

III. Douglas's quail, lophortyx douglasl
Ortyx douglasii, Vigors; Douglas, Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 145

(1828).
Ortyx elegaiis^ Lesson, Cent. Zool. p. 189, pi. 61 (1830).
Ortyx spihgaster, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 4.
Callipepla elegans^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 18

(1844).
Lophortyx douglasi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p

404(1893).
Callipepla ele^aiis bensoni, Ridgw. P. U. S. Nat. Mus. x. p.

148 (1887).
Adult Male.— Crest long and /^Z? rufous ; throat black, each
feather edged ivith white ; feathers of the back of the head.

THE TARRED PARTRIDGES. 127

neck, and upper mantle with a triangular chest?iut spot at the
end of each feather ; inner wing-coverts, shoulder-feathers,
sides, and flanks sitnilarly marked^ but with a white spot or
partial margin on each web ; breast and belly with ro2i7id while
spots. Total length, 9*3 inches; wing, 4-4; tail, 3-2; tarsus,
1*2 ; middle toe and claw, 1-4.

Adult Female. — Crest generally dark brow7i ; throat ivkite, iviih
dark shaft-stripes ; under-parts greyish-brown with round while
ipots.

Range. — Western Mexico; States of Sonora, Sinaloa, and
Jalisco.

THE BARRED PARTRIDGES. GENUS PIIILORTYX.

Phiioftyx, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pi. 14 in pt. ii. (1846);
Introd. p. 17 (1850).

Type, P. fasciatus (Gould).

Sexes similar in plumage. A well-developed crest extending
much beyond the feathers of the head.

First primary flight-feather i7itermediate i?i le?igth between
the ninth and tenth ; fourth slightly the longest.

Tail composed of tivelve feathers, nearly th^-ee-fourths of the
length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Only one small species is known.

I. THE MEXICAN BARRED PARTRIDGE. PHILORTYX FASCIATUS.

Ortyx fasciatus, Natterer, MS.; Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, p. 133.
Ortyx perrotiafta, Des Murs, Rev. Zool. 1845, P- ~^1-
Philortyx fasciatus, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi. 14
(1846); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 406

(1893).
Philortyx personatus, Ridgw. Auk, iii. p. 2>ZZ (1886).

Adult. — Crest blackish-brown tipped with rufous ; neck and
mantle olive-grey, shading into olive-brown on the back, which

128 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

is mixed ivith black afid margijied zvitJi buff; wings and shoulder
feathers very similar, but the black markings take the form of
blotches near the tips ; throat white ; under-parts white, strotigly
barred with blacky except the middle of the breast and belly.
Total length, 7-6 inches; wing, 4; tail, 2-6; tarsus, i"i5;
middle toe and claw, 1-35.

Yonnger Birds have the eyebrow-stripes and greater part of the
chin and throat black.

Range. — Southern Mexico. States of Colima, Guerrero, and
Puebla.

THE CRESTED QUAILS. GENUS EUPSYCHORTYX.

Eupsychoriyx, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pi. 10 in pt. i.
(1844); Introd. p. 15 (1850).

Type, E. lexicopogon (Lesson).

Sexes different in plumage. Crest well or fairly well-deve-
loped.

First primary flight-feather intermediate ifi length between
the eighth and ninth ; fourth slightly the longest.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, rather mo7'e than half the
length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Eight small Quail-like species are known.

I. THE CURA5AO CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSYCHORTYX CRISTATUS.

Tetrao cristatus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 277 (1766).

Ortvx te7nmincki, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 381

^ (1819).

Ortyx neoxenus, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830, p. 3.

Eiipsychortyx cristatus^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi.
9 (1846); Hartert, Ibis, 1893, pp. 305, 325; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 407 (1893).

Perdix neoxe?ius, Aud. Orn. Biogr. v. p. 228, pi. 423 (1849).

Eiipsychortyx ga^ldi, Berlepsch, J. f. O. 1892, p. 100.

TIIF. CRKSTF-'D QUAILS. I 29

Adult Male. — Or J-/, top of the head, and f/uvaf, huff or rufous-
buff ; the broad eyebrow-stripes and bands bordering the sides
of the throat black; ear-coverts white; back of neck white,
spotted with black ; back and wings mostly rufous-grey, shading
into grey on the rump, and all finely mottled and blotched
with black, and the former edged with buff; chest, sides, and
flank-feathers rufous down the middle barred with black and
spotted with white ; rest of under-parts white barred with black,
and widely edged with orange-buff towards the middle. Total
length, 8 inches; wing, 4; tail, 2*4; tarsus, i'i5 ; middle toe
and claw, i'3.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the male in having the
eyebroTv-stripes orangey elloiv, the ear-coverts pale-brown^ and
the feathers on the sides of the throat whitish-buff margined
with black on the sides.

Range. — The islands of Curasao and Aruba.

It was not till 1892, when Mr. E. Hartert visited the islands
of Curasao and Aruba, which lie off the northern coast of
Venezuela, that the true home of this species became known.
Though the bird was accurately described by Brisson in 1760,
the locality whence it came had ever been a matter of doubt,
and though Gould, in his monograph of the Odontophorince^
gives the habitat as " Mexico," it has never been found there
by recent explorers. It is possible that it may occur in
Venezuela.

Habits. — Mr. Hartert tells us that " this pretty bird is not
rare on Aruba and Curasao, but is not found everywhere. The
natives call it ' Sockle,' a name derived from its note, which is
uttered very frequently. It is much esteemed as food, and
sometimes sold in the market alive.

"This bird is not easy to obtain in any great numbers with-
out a dog, as it does not care to fly, and is difficult to be seen
in grassy places. It is not found on Bonaire," which lies im-
mediately to the east of Curasao.

12 K

130 at,len's naturalist's library.

il the white-faced crested quail. eupsychortyx
leucopogon.

Ortyx leucopogon^ Lesson, Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 175; Des Miirs,

Icon. Orn. pi. 36 (1846) [crest omitted].
Ortyx leiicotis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, p. 133.
Eupsychortyx kucotis, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 10

(1844).
Eupsychortyx kucopogon, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii.
pi. 13 (1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.
409(1893).

Adult Male. — Very similar to the male of E. cristafus, but
the crest is brownish-white ; eyebrow-stripes riifous-chesinut^
and the white ear-patches margined above and below with
chestnut instead of black. From the following species it differs
in having the chest thickly spotted right up to the throat.
Total length, 8*5 inches; wing, 4-1; tail, 27; tarsus, 1*2;
middle toe and claw, 1*3.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the CYe?>tdark
l??'07vn ; the feathers of the eyebrow-stripe and throat buff,
edged with black ; the ear-coverts brown ; the mantle blotched
with black like the rest of the back ; the under-parts paler and
the cross-bars more strongly marked ; somewhat smaller.

Range. — Vcragua to the United States of Colombia.

III. SONNINl'S CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSYCHORTYX SONNINIL

Perdix so?mifii, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 451, 737 (181 5) ; id.

PI. Col. V. pi. 42 [No. 75] (1823).
Eupsychortyx sonni?ii, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 11

(1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 410

(1893).
Adult Male. — Differs from the male of E. leucopogon in having
the ear-coverts dirty white ; the chest almost uniform pale vina-
ceous, slightly mottled with black (there are irregular white black-

THE CRESTED QUAILS. I31

edged spots on one or both margins of the chest-feathers, but
these are mostly hidden). Total length, 8-5 inches; wing,
4-1 ; tail, 2-6; tarsus, 1-15 ; middle toe and claw, 1-3.

Adult Female. — Much like the female of E. leucopoo;on, but
with the eyebrow-stripes and cheeks marked with orange-rufous,
and much brighter ; the general colour of the under-parts /^/d'/-,
and the black markings less coarse.

Range. — North of South America, extending south to the Rio
Cranco, east to British Guiana, and west to Caracas, Vene-
zuela. Introduced into St. Thomas, West Indies.

IV. THE CUMANA CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSVCHORTYX
MOCQUERYSI.

Eupsychorfyx mocquerysi, Hartert, Bull. B. O. C. no. iii. p.
37 (1894); id. Ibis, 1894, p. 430; id. Novit. Zool. i. pi.

XV. fig. 2.

Adult.— Differs from E. sonninil in the following points : —
The throat is white all along the middle, most of the feathers
showing distinct narrow cross-bars of black. The breast is
uniform vinaceous-cinnamon, except on the lower part ; the belly
and sides of the body are similarly coloured, but varied with
large white spots bordered with black. Total length, 9
inches; wing, 4'i-4-25 ; tail, 2-6; tarsus, ri; middle toe
and claw, 1*35.

Range.— Cumana, on the north coast of Venezuela.

V. THE SHORT-CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSVCHORTYX
PARVICRISTATUS.

Orfyx parvicristatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, P- 106.
Eupsychortyx parvicristatus, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii.

pi. 12 (1846); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

410 (1893).

Adult Male.— Like the male of ^. sonniniihMi the crest is short
and dark brown ; the ear-coverts dark brown ; the chest pale
chestnut; the breast and belly rufous-chestnut, with fewer

132 Allen's naturalist's library.

white spots. Total length, 8*5 inches; wing, 3-9; tail, 2*5;
tarsus, I ; middle toe and claw, 1-15.

Adult Female. — Similar to the female of ^. sonninii.

Range.— United States of Colombia.

VI. leyland's crested quail, eupsyciiortyx leylandi.

Ortyx leylandi^ Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, p, 62.

Eupsychortyx leucofrenatus^ Elliot, Ann. Lye. N. York, vii. p.

106, pi. 3 (i860).
Eupsychortyx leylandi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. jMus. xxii.

p. 411 (1893).

Adult Male. — Chin and throat black; as in the two last-
mentioned species, the chest vinaceous, indistinctly mottled
with dusky, and with a few white spots ; mantle dark grey,
coarsely mottled and marked with black. Total length, 8*4
inches; wing, 4*1; tail, 2*4; tarsus, I'l ; middle toe and
claw, 1*3.

Adult Fein-ile. — Closely resembles the females of the last two
species, but the chest is like that of the male, only more spotted ;
the eyebrow-stripes broad and pure yelloivish-buff ; the throat
buff, the outer feathers slightly edged with black, and the
upper-parts more coarsely marked with black.

Eange. — Central America; Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa
Rica.

Habits. — M. Boucard met with this species in the valley of
San Jose, Costa Rica, and found it common in the coffee-
plantations during the rainy season, from May to December,
but rare in the other months, when it disappeared completely
from the valley. He also met with small coveys in the plains,
and observes that they can run extremely fast.

Mr. G. C. Taylor frequently saw coveys of these birds in
Honduras, especially on the high ground near Comayagua.
They were usually lying in long grass, and, when distuibed, used

tHE CRESTKt) QUAILS. 1^3

to fly for shelter into the thick bushes. They were difficult to
raise without a dog, and very difficult to see when on the wing.
Moreover, the ground they frequented was so full of ticks and
*'garrapatas," as to destroy nil keenness in the pursuit of them.
In habits this species appears to resemble the common
Virginian Quail {O. virginia?ms).

This beautiful Partridge, called in Costa Rica, '' Perdiz," is
often found over the whole plateau in flocks of from fifteen to
twenty, as well in the open country in the neighbourhood of
thick underwood, as in the wheat-fields surrounding the
Heredia and Barbee. {Dr. A. von Franlzius)

VII. THE BLACK-THROATED CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSYCHORTYX
NIGROGULARIS.

Ortyx nigrogidaris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 181 ; id. Monogr.

Odontoph, pt. ii. pi. 4 (1S46); G. R. Gray, Gen. B. iii.

p. 514, pi. cxxxii. (1846).
CoUnus nignvrularis segoviensis, Ridgw. P. U. S. Nat. Mus. x. p.

593(1887)-
Eupsychortyx nigrogularis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Bnt. Mus.

xxii. p. 412 (1893).
Adult Male Crest moderately developed, brozvn; eyebrow-
stripes, chin, and throat black ; a ivJiite stripe between the angle
of the gape and the ear-coverts ; mantle chestnut, most of the
feathers with a fairly distinct white central spot ; chest and
under-parts white, each feather margined with black, except the
sides and flanks, which are edged with chestnut. Total length,
8-2 inches ; wing, 4-1 ; tail, 2-3 ; tarsus, ri5 ; middle toe and
claw, 1-35.

Adult Female. — Distinguished from the female of ^. sonninii
and the allied species by having the eyebrow-stripes and
throat bright buff, ivithout any trace of black markings.

Range Central America ; Yucatan, British Honduras, and

Honduras.

134 ALLEN^S NATURALIST*S LIBRARY.

Habits. —In Yucatan the Black-throated Quail was always
seen by Mr. G. F. Gaumer in flecks or pairs, sometimes in the
darkest forests, but more usually in corn-fields. Unfortunately,
he tells us nothing further respecting its habits, merely remark-
ing that the flesh is delicious. According to Dyson, it frequents
the pine ridges, and is very common both in Honduras and
Yucatan, moving about in coveys. From Dr. Samuel Cabot's
notes we take the following, which give a more detailed account:
— " In reading works relating to the discovery and conquest
of Yucatan by the Spaniards, we sec mention made of the
sacrifices of Quails offered by the natives to their idols; some-
times the blood only was offered, and sometimes the whole
bDdy. The bird there allude i to is undoubtedly the Ortyx
nigrogularis, as this is the only bird called 'Codorniz ' or ' Quail '
by the Spanish residents of the country. The Ortyx nigro-
gularis in its note and habits is precisely similar to the O.
virginlanus. They whistle the ' Bob-White ' in spring ; their
covey-call in the autumn and winter is so precisely the same
that they readily answered when I whistled the call of our
Quail ; and if I had previously scattered the covey, I could
always find them in this way. They feed on similar food, and
roost in the same way ; they also sometimes alight on trees,
like our Quail. . . . The Maya or Indian name of this bird
is Bech, the e pronounced with a guttural sound."

VIII. THE WHITE-BREASTED CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSYCHORTYX
HYPOLEUCUS.

Eupsyclwrtyx hypokucus, Gould, P. Z. S. i860, p. 62 ; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 413 (1S93).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from all the other species of
this genus by having the eyebrow-stripes, chin, throat, and
under-parts pure white. Total length, 7*8 inches ; wing, 4*1 ;
tail, 2-5 ; tarsus, I'l ; middle toe and claw, 1-3.

Adult Female.— Closely resembles the female of ^. cristaiiiSj
but the feathers of the crest are darker.

THE COLINS OR EOB-WHITES. T35

Range.— Central America ; Guatemala.

THE COLINS OR BOB- WHITES. GENUS ORTYX.

Ortyx, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 376 (1819).
Type, O. vh'giniaiius (Linn.).

Sexes different in plumage. No distinct crest.

First primary flight-feathers intermediate i?i length between
the seventh and eighth ; fourth slightly the longest.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, rather more than hai/\\\Q
length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Ten small Quail-like forms are known.

I. THE VIRGINIAN COLIN OR BOB-WHITE. ORTVX VIRGINIANUS.

Tetrao virginiafius, T. marilandicus^ and T. niexicanus, Linn.

S. N. i p. 277 (1766).
Perdix virginiana, Wilson, Am. Orn. vi. p. 21, pi. xlvii.

(1812); Aud. Orn. Biogr. i. p. 388, pi. 76 (1831), v. p.

564 (1839).
Ortyx virginiimus, Aud. B. Amer. v p. 59, pi. 289 (1842);

Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 1 (1844); Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 415 (1893).
Colinus virginiaims, Bendire, N. Am. B. p. i. pi. i. fig. i. [egg].

(.892,)

Adult Male — Chin and throat white^ surrounded by a black
band ; a black band kom the gape to the chestnut ear-coverts;
feathers of the mantle vinaceous-rufous, the edges grey, barred
with black; middle of the breast and belly white or whitish-
buff, with the V-shaped black bars narrower and less marked.
Total length, 8*5 inches; wing, 4-5, tail, 2-5; tarsus, 1*2;
middle toe and claw, 1-45.

Adult Female — Distinguished from the male by having the
throat bright buff, the black bands from the gape to the ear-
coverts and round the throat ill-defined, and the black bars on

136 Allen's naturalist's library.

the under-parts nearly obsolete, especially on the middle of
the breast and belly.

Eange. — Eastern United States of North America, extending
north to Massachusetts and Minnesota, west to Dakota and
Indian Territory, and south to Georgia and other Gulf States.
Introduced into many of the West Indian Islands and various
parts of the Old World.

Habits. — "This species, one of the most widely distributed
of our Game-Birds, is better known throughout the Northern
and Middle States as the Quail, and under the name of
Partridge, or Virginia Partridge, in the South. . . .

" At the present time the Bob-Whites are most abundant in
the Central and some of the Southern States. They have also
been successfully introduced in various localities in the
West. . . .

" Excepting, perhaps, in its extreme northern range, the
Bob-Whites are residents, and breed wherever found. They
are partial to more or less open country. Fields and pastures,
interspersed with small bodies of woodland, country roads,
bordered by brush and briar patches, as well as the edges of
meadow and lowlands, are their favourite abiding places. In
Southern Louisiana they are very partial to the borders of
hammock land and open pine-woods. They are never found
in large packs ; each covey generally keeps to itself, and rarely
moves far from the place where it was raised. The mating-
season commences in April, when the coveys, or such portions
of them remaining, begin to break up, each pair selecting a
suitable nesting-site. Nidification begins usually about May;
in the Southern States somewhat earlier, and in the more
northern portions of their breeding-range it is often delayed
until June. . . .

"These birds are very sociable in disposition, and, when
not constantly disturbed or shot at, become quite tame, and
may frequently be seen about dwelling-houses, barns, and in

THE COLINS OR BOB-U'llHES.

'37

gardens, especially dining the late fall, winter, and early
spring. As soon as the young are hatched, they become more
shy and retiring. The young leave the nest as soon as
hatched, and have been seen running about \viih pieces of
the shell sticking to them. They are faithfully cared for by
both parents, who make use of all sorts of artifices, such as
feigning lameness and fluttering along just out of reach of the
intruder, to lure him away from the young brood ; the young
scattering in the meantime, and hiding in the grass and under
leaves at the danger-signal of the parents, and remaining quiet
until called together again by either of them as soon as all
danger is passed. When they are about two or three weeks
old, the male takes charge of the first brood, while the female
begins to lay her second clutch of eggs. This is usually a
smaller one than the first, averaging only about twelve eggs.
The young are at hrst exclusively fed on insect food, and later
on small seeds, grains, and berries. . . . The males com-
mence singing about the ist of May; their song is the well-
known 'Bob-White,' or 'Ah, Bob-White.' One of their love-
notes may be translated as ' Pease most ripe,' another call as
' No more wet,' or * More wet.' A shrill ' Wee-teeh ' is used as
a note of warning, and one to assemble when the covey has
dispersed, resembles 'Quoi-hee, quoi-hee.' A subdued clucking
when undisturbed, and a rapidly-repeated twitter when sud-
denly surprised, are frequently used as well." {Bendire)

Nest. — A cavity scratched in the ground and sheltered by
overhanging weeds, grass, or brush, tS^:c. " Occasionally the
nest is arched over, but in most cases, where there is no
natural cover existing, no dome is attempted." {Bendire.)

Eggs. — This bird is the most prolific of North American
Game-Birds, the number of eggs varying from twelve to
eighteen. " As many as thirty-seven eggs have been found in
one nest, unquestionably the product of two, or even three,
hens. In such large sets the eggs are always placed in layers

138 Allen's naturalists library.

or tiers, the small or pointed ends always towards the centre."
{Ben dire.)

Dull white, slightly glossed, often partially stained with
yellowish-buff. Average measurements, i'2 by '96 inch.

SUB-SP. a. THE FLORIDA COLIN. ORTYX FLORIDANUS.

Ortyx virginiamis floridanus, Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 237
(1872); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 418

(1893).
Colinus virghiianus Jloridanus, Bendire, N. Amer. B. p. 7
(1892).

Adult Male. — Differs from the male of O. virginiaiius in
having the general tone of the plumage darker ; ear-coverts
blacky the band from the gape passing unintirrupledly across
tliem round the base of the throat, where it ividens out, often
extending over the npper chest ; the black bars on the under-
parts much coarser and more strongly marked. Measurements
the same.

Adult Female. — Darker than the female of O. virginianus, and
with the black bars on the under-parts much more strongly
marked, and equally defined on the middle of the breast and
belly.

Range.— Florida. Cuba ; probably introduced.

Habits. — Captain Bendire writes: — "This somewhat smaller
and darker race is found only in Florida. Dr. W. L. Ralph,
who has enjoyed excellent opportunities for studying the habits
of the Florida Bob-White, and is well-known as a reliable and
careful observer, writes to me as follows : — ' It is still common
throughout the northern and central parts of the State, and
probably in the southern portions as well, but they are not
nearly so abundant as formerly, owing to the persecution they
receive from northern visitors and negroes, and to the want of
efticient game laws. They are very tame and confiding, and
when not molested prefer to live near man, probably on

THE COLINS OR BOB-WHITES. 1 39

account of greater security from the attacks of beasts and
birds of prey. They become much attached to the locaHties
where they breed, and seldom wander far from these, even
when much persecuted. I have known cases where they were
hunted day after day until their number was reduced to two
or three birds to each covey, yet those which were left could
always be found at their old places of resort. The localities
they like best are open woods grown up with sand palmcttes
or low bushes, or fields with woods near them, and they are
particularly fond of slovenly cultivated grounds that have
bushes and weeds growing thickly along their borders.' "
Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of O. vlrginianus.

SUB-SP. b, THE TEXAN COLIN. ORTYX TEXANUS.

Oriyx iexamis, Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. York, vi. p. i. (1853);
Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 641, pi. xxiv. (i860); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 419 (1893).
Colinus virginiamis iexanus, Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 8 (1892).

Adult Male. — Differs from O, virginicuius and O. Jloridcuius
in having the feathers of the mantle barred and mottled with
pale rufous and black, and indistinctly edged with grey ; as in
the former, the black band round the base of the white throat
is Jiarroive?;^- but, like the latter, the black bars on the under-
parts are coarser and more marked. JNIeasurements the same.

Adult Female. — Like the female of O. floridamis^ but the
general colour of the upper-parts is^^-m'tv and paler.

Range. — Southern and Western Texas, and North-east and
Western Mexico.

HaMts, — The Texan Bob-White is a resident in the greater
part of Texas, excepting the so-called Staked Plains in the
north-western part of the State. In Eastern Texas it intergrades

* There are two males in the British Museum collection with a large
black patch covering the chin and middle of the throat. These are
apparently mere individual varieties.

T40 Allen's naturalists library.

with Ortyx virginiafiiis. It is most abundant in the central
parts of the State. Its range northward extends well into the
Indian territory, and it has also been taken in Western Kansas,
where, however, it is rare. Its general habits do not differ
materially from those of 0. virgmiamis. {Bendire.)

Mr. William Lloyd, of Marfa, Texas, says : — " The Texan
Bob-Whites are birds of the lowlands, and not found above
an altitude of 2,000 feet. Their food consists of small berries,
acorns, grain, buds and leaves of aromatic herbs and small
shrubs, varied with occasional beetles, grasshoppers, and ants,
especially the winged females, of which they seem to be very
fond. They are very unsuspicious, and their low notes, uttered
while feeding, attract a good many enemies. I have seen foxes
on the watch, and the Marsh Harrier perched in a clump of
grass on the look-out, waiting for them to pass. But the many
large Rattlesnakes found here are their worst enemies. One
killed in May had swallowed five of these birds at one meal ;
another a female, evidently caught on her nest, and a half-
dozen of her eggs ; a third, four Bob-Whites and a Scaled Par-
tridge."

Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of O. virgiiiiaiius.

II. THE CUBAN COLIN. ORTYX CUBANENSIS.

Ortyx cubanensis, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 2
(1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 421

(1893)-
Colifuis virginiaims ciihanensis^ Bendire, N. Am. B.p. 9 (1892).

Adult Male. — Chin and throat white, surrounded by a black
band ; top of the head black ; chest-feathers black, mixed with
dull rufous or white in the middle ; rest of under-parts chestnut,
irregularly edged with black, and spotted with white on the
sides. Total length, 8 inches ; wing, 4-2 ; tail, 2-3 ; tarsus, 1-2 ;
middle toe and claw, 1-4.

Adult Female. — Coarsely spotted on the under-parts with black,
dirty white, and rufous.

THE COIJNS OR BOB WiriTES. 14 I

Range. — Island of Cuba ; Isle of Pines. It is also reported
from Porto Rieo."'

Habits. — Dr. Jean (lundlaeh, who is intimately acquainted
with the habits of this species, says that the " Codorniz " is only
met with towards the outskirts of the forest, and inhabits the
extensive prairies in the most westerly part of the Island of
Cuba. The flight of the bird is neither high nor protracted,
but straight and swift ; it rises with rapid beats of the wing,
which become less laboured when the bird is well on the wing,
or are sometimes entirely suspended, the wings being merely
widely extended. When the flight is caused by approaching
danger, the different birds of the flock or covey separate from
each other, and settle some way off in different places, some-
times running for a little distance. When the danger has dis-
appeared, all reassemble at the call of the leader of the flock.
If the panic has been caused by dogs, the birds fly on to the
nearest tree, where they crouch on a horizontal branch, and
remain motionless as long as the dog stays under the tree or
barks. They may then, if approached with caution, be caught
by means of a loop made of horse-hair or strong thread fastened
to a long slender pole. If the flock takes flight without being
scared by any danger, the different members all fly together.

They search for their food on the ground, picking up various
kinds of seeds, and sometimes berries or young leaves. Should
they anticipate any danger whilst thus employed, a murmuring
sound is heard, and they run with raised crest, outstretched
necks, and outspread tails to a place of safety. Their call-notes
vary somewhat, according to circumstances. In the mating-
season, when the members of a flock are already paired or
scattered about, the cock perches on a branch, stump of a tree,
post, stone, or a large clod of earth, and summons his mate
with two or three notes, the third being quickly or loudly
uttered, and the hen answers. The cocks often fight with each

* It is possible that the following notes by Dr. J. Gundlach may refer to
the Florida Colin, which has apparently ];cen introduced into Cuba.

142 Allen's naturalist's library.

other. Their flesh is good, and, considering the size of the
birds, there is a wonderful amount of meat on them. The male
bird takes part in hatching the eggs, and should the first brood
fail, a second set of eggs is laid. As in all species of this order,
the newly-hatched young run about as soon as they are dry.

The " Codorniz " is caught in traps, and can be easily kept in
a cage, but when in captivity their feathers in time become very
rough. Dr. Gundlach had no experience of their nesting in
cages or aviaries, but had seen a hen take to a newly-hatched
chicken and rear it.

Nest. — Built between the middle of April and July. A hol-
low in the ground lined with a few dry grasses, &c., and shel-
tered by projecting plants.

Eggs. — Ten to eighteen in number; white. Measurements,
1-2 by I inch.

III. THE BLACK-BREASl'ED COLIN. ORTYX PECTORALIS.

Ortyx pedoralis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1841, p. 182; id. Monogr.
Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 5. (1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 421 (1893).

Adult Male. —Throat white, surrounded by a black band
which extends over the upper part of the chest ; upper-parts
much I'ke those of O. texamts ; uiider-paris tuiif arm pale
rufous-chestnut. Total length, 77 inches; wing, 4 ; tail, 2-1;
tarsus, n ; middle toe and claw, 1*25.

Adult Female. — Most like the fcmile of O. texanus, but the
upper-parts are darker and browner^ and the black markings
on the under-parts heavier. Measurements as in the male.

Range. — Vera Cruz, Eastern Mexico.

IV. Grayson's colin. ortyx graysonl

Ortyx graysom\ Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. York, viii. p. 476

(1867); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 422

(1893)-

{Piafe XXX 11.)

PLATE XXXn.

Grayson's golin

THE cor. INS OR BOC-WHITES. I43

Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from the male of O. pectoralis
in having the black band round the base of the throat narrow,
not extending over the chest, wliich is dull rufous-chestnut
like the rest of the under-parts. Total length, 7-8 inches;
wing, 4-5; tail, 2*5; tarsus, 1*2; middle toe and claw, 1-4.

Adult Female. — Like the female of O. pedoralis, but slightly
larger.

Range. — State of Jalisco, West Mexico.

V. RIDGWAY'S COLIN. ORTYX RIDGWAYI.

Colimis ridgwayi, Brewster, Auk, ii. p. 199 (1885); Bendire,

N. Amer. B. p. 10 (1892).
Ortyx ridgivayi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 422

(1893).
Adult Male.— Distinguished from all the preceding species by
having the eyebrow-stripes, chi/i, a?id t/woat black ; and from
the two following species by having the chest and under-parts
pale reddish brick-colour. Total length, 8 '4 inches; wing,
4-5 ; tail, 2-5 ; tarsus, \'2 ; middle toe and claw, 1-35.

Adult Female. — Closely resembles the females of O. pectoralis
and 0. graysoni. Measurements as in the male.

Range. — Arizona, United States of North America, and
Sonora in Northern Mexico.

Habits. — Mr. Herbert Brown, who was the first to obtain
examples of this species, gives the following note : — "The habits
of the Masked Bob-White, so far as we know them, appear to
resemble very closely those of the Common Quail {O. vir-
ginianus), only slightly modified by the conditions of their
environment. They utter the characteristic call of 'Bob-
White' with bold, full notes, and perch on rocks or bushes
while calling. They do not appear to be mountain-birds,
but live on the mesas (table-lands) in the valleys ^nd pos-
sibly in the foot-hills.

144 Allen's naturalist's library.

'' In addition to their ' Bob-AA'hite ' they have a second call
of ' Hoo-we,' articulated and as clean cut as their ' Bob-White.'
This call of ' Hoo-we ' they use when scattered, and more
especially when separated towards nightfall. At this hour I
noted that, although they occasionally called 'Bob-White,' they
never repeated the first syllable, as in the daytime they now
and then attempted to do."

Nest and Eggs. — Similar to those of 0. ri'^gmianus. Average
measurements of the pure white eggs, i"25 by i inch.

VI. THE COYOLCOS COLIN. ORTYX COYOLCOS.

Te^mo coyo/cvs, P. L. S. Miill. S. N. Suppl. p. 129 (1776).
Ortyx coyolcos, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 6 right-
hand fig. (1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 423 (1893).
Adnlt Male. — Like the males of O. pedoralis £ind 0. graysoni^
and, as in the last species, the chin and throat are black, but
the chest is black ; the feathers of the top of the head are
black, edged with brown ; and the eyebrow-stripes, if present,
are ivhite, and indistinctly represented. Total length, 77;
wing, 4'2 ; tail, 2'3 ; tarsus, 1*15; middle toe and claw, 1-4.

Adult Female — Like that of O. ridi^wayi, but smaller.
Measurements as in the male.

Range. — Oaxaca, Southern Mexico.

VII. THE BLACK-HEADED COLIN. ORTYX ATRICEPS.

Ortyx coyolcos^ Gould {nee Miill.), Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii.

pi. 6 left-hand fig. (1850).
Ortyx atriceps^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 424

(1893).

{Plate XXXIIL)

Adult Male. — Like the male of O. coyolcos, but the top of the
headj eyebrows-stripe, chin, and throat are all 2i7nform blacky

PLATE XXXIU

BLACK-HEADED COLIN

THE HARLEQUIN QUAILS. I45

and the general colour of both upper- and undcr-parts is
darker. Measurements as in O. coyolcos.

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of O. coyolcos in being
altogether darker, the grey markings of the mantle being re-
placed by brownish-black. Total length, 7*4 inches; wing,
4; tail, 2*3 ; tarsus, I'l ; middle toe and claw, 1*35.

— Putla, Western Mexico.

VIII. THE CHESTNUT COLOURED COLIN. ORTYX CASTANEUS.

Ortyx castaneus^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 182, id. Monogr.
Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 3 (1850); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 424 (1893).

Adult Male. — Top of the head, mantle, chest, and general

colour of the rest of the upper-parts dark chestnut, the chin and

.throat thick; middle of the breast and belly white, barred

with black and mixed wdth chestnut. Total length, 9 inches ;

wing, 4 ; tail, 2*3 ; tarsus, I'l ; middle toe and claw, 1-35.

But a single example of this bird is known — Gould's type pre-
served in the British Museum Collection. The locality and
other particulars are wanting. It has been suggested by
some American ornithologists that the specimen in question
is merely a strongly-marked variety of O. virginia7ius, and it
may possibly transpire that it is so. In support of this theory
we may remind our readers that the so-called Mountain Par-
tridge {see vol. i. p. 147, pi. xii.) is undoubtedly nothing but a
strongly-marked rufous variety of the Common Partridge.

THE HARLEQUIN QUAILS. GENUS CYRTONYX.

Cyrtonyx, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pi. 7 in pt. i. (1844),
Introd. p. 14 (1850).

Type, C. niontezumcB (Vig.).

Sexes differ in plumage. A rather full crest, but none of
the feathers very elongate.

i2 L

t'^6 ALLEN^S NATURALISTS LIBRARV,

First primary flight-feather intennediate in length between
the seventh and eighth ; fourth shghtly longest.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, less than half the length
of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Claws very long*

t. THE MASSENA HARLEQUIN QUAIL. CYRTONYX
MONTEZUM/E.

Ortyx montcziuncB, Vigors, Zool. Journ. v. p. 275 (1830) ; Jar-
dine and Selby, 111. Orn. iii. pi. 126.

Ortyx massena^ Lesson, 111. Zool. pi. 52 (1831).

Tetrao guttata^ La Llave, Reg. Trim. i. p. 114 (1831).

Odontophorus nieleagris, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 277.

Cyrtoiiyx masseua, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 7
(1844); Cassin, 111. B. Cal. p. 21, pi. iv. (1S53).

Cyrfonyx viontezunice, Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 35, pi. i. fig. 15
[egg] (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

425 (1893)-

Adult Male. — Crest reddish-buff; forehead, sides of the head,
throat, and fore-neck elegantly marked with a hlack-and-whi!e
pattern ; general colour above pale rufous, thickly barred Avith
black, with wide buff shaft-stripes ; outer webs of quills barred
with white; middle of chest and breast dark chestnut; sides
and flank dark grey, with a row of rounded paired ivhiie spots
down each web ; rest of under- parts deep black. Total length,
8'2 • wing, 5'i ; tail, 2*2; tar.-us, i"i ; middle tee and claw,
1-4.

Adult Female. — Head and throat without black-and-vv-hite
pattern, and mostly white, the eyebrow-stripes, and cheeks
washed with pale vinaceous ; base of fore-neck bordered by an
ill-defined black band, commencing on the ear-coverts ; upper-
parts more coarsely marked than m the male ; under-parts
pale vinaceous, shading into bufftow\ards the middle, and more
or less spotted and marked with black. Total length, 7-8

THE HARLEQUIN QUAILS. M?

inches ; wing, 47 ; tail, 2-i ; tarsus, n ; middle toe and claw,

Range.— Mexico, extending north to Arizona and South-
western Texas, south as far as the city of Mexico, west to
Jalisco, and east to Tamaulipas.

HaMt3.— Mr. Dresser procured several examples of this
species, also known as the " Fool Quail " or " Black Part-
ridge," in Southern Texas, and remarks:—"! afterwards
found the bird on several occasions when riding along the
higher hill ranges, and altogether shot six, while a man who
was with me killed two more. In their habits they are more like
the Texan Quail th.m any other, but on the wing are easily dis-
tinguished, for they fly heavily, though very swiftly. When dis-
turbed they squat very close, and will not move until one is
close upon them ; indeed, I found them generally rise up almost
under my feet."

Mr. William Lloyd, writing to Captain Bendire from Marfa,
Texas, says that " the favourite resorts of the Massena Part-
ridge are the rocky ravines or arroyas that head well up in
the mountains. They quickly, however, adapt themselves to
changed conditions of life, and are now to be ssen around
the ranches picking up grain and scratching in the fields. In
the vicinity of Fort Davis, Texas, they have been exceptionally
numerous, and may frequently be seen sitting on the stone walls
surrounding grain-fields in Limpa Canon. In Mexico I have
seen them several times living contentedly in cages. In Mes-
quite Canon they are the only Partridge found ; and in June
and July, 1887, I spent some time there trying principally to
locate the nest and eggs of this species. I found a single egg
in a depression at the roots of a tasaca cactus, presumably
belonging to this species. It was v^hite, without any markings
whatever. While there, I was informed by two different parties
living in the vicinity that each of them had found a nest the
previous year, 18S6, containing eight and ten eggs respectively,
which they had eaten. They described the eggs as being

L 2

148 Allen's naturalist's library.

white in colour. Both said that the nests were simply a slight
hollow, one under a small shin-oak bush, the other alongside
a sotol plant."

According to Mr. John Swinburne, of St. John's, Apache
County, Arizona, the favourite localities frequented by this
species during the breeding-season are thick live-oak scrub
and patches of rank grass, at an altitude of from 7,000 to
9,000 feet. He says : — " Here they are summer residents only,
descending to much lower altitudes in winter. They lie very
close at all times, allowing one to almost step on them before
they move. I have seen this species on the white mountains dur-
ing the breeding-season, and saw young birds of the year shot
there. Even the adults seem very stupid when suddenly
flushed, and, after flying a short distance, alight, and attempt
to hide in most conspicuous places. I have seen men follow
and kill them by throwing stones."

Nest. — A hollow scratched in the ground under the shelter
of a long grass, &c., and generally more carefully lined than
that of O. virginianus.

Uggg. — Eight to ten in number, rather glossy, and somewhat
pointed towards the smaller end ; pure white when laid, but
often discoloured after the bird has commenced to sit.
Average measurements, i'28 by "9 inch.

II. salle's harlequin quail, cyrtonyx sall^i.

Cyrtonyx sallcei, Verr. Arcana, Nat. i. p. 35, pi. 4 {1859);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 427 (1893).

Adult Male — Easily distinguished from the male of C.
monteziunce by having the shaft-stripes on the upper-parts
(except those of the mantle) orange-rufous or chestnut ; the
stripe round the eye and triangular patch on the cheek dark
bluish-black ; the sides and flanks paler grey ; and the row
of spots on each web rufous-buff or chestnut.

Female. — Is not yet known.

j^anjTo.— Mexico ; State of Guerrero.

THE LONG-NAILED PARTRIDGES. I49

III. THE OCELLATED HARLEQUIN QUAIL. CYRTONVX
OCELLA'l US.

Ortyx ocellatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 75.

Cyrtonyx ocellaius^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi. 8

(1846); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, xxii. p. 428

(1893).
Cyrtojiyx suinichrasti, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Sci. i. p. 51

(■877).

Adult Male. — Differs from the male of C sallcei^ already de-
scribed, in having the black markings on the upper-parts in the
form of round black spots ; the middle of the chest and breast
pale buff, tipped with rufous ; and the flanks chestnut, irregu-
larly barred 7vith blacky shading into grey towards the margins.
Total length, 8-3 inches ; wing, 5-3; tail, 2-2; tarsus, 1-25;
middle toe and claw, 1-5.

Adult Female. — Like the female of C. mojttezumcE, but the
general colour above is black, finely barred with rufous and
mottled with sandy. Total length, 8 inches ; wing, 5 ; tail,
2-2; tarsus, 1-25 ; middle toe and claw, 1-45.

Range. — Central America ; Tehuantepec to Guatemala.

THE LONG-NAILED PARTRIDGES. GENUS
DACTYLORTYX.

Dactylortyx, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 429

(1893).
Type, D. thoracicus (Gambel).

Plumage of sexes dijfere7it. A short crest.

First primary flight-feather eqiial to the eighth ; fourth
longest.

Tail composed of tivelve feathers, and tivo-fifths of the
length of the wing.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

Claws very long and but slightly curved.

150 Allen's naturalist's library.

L THE long-nailed PARTRIDGE. DACTYLORTYX
THORACICUS.

Ortyx thoracicus, Gambel, P. Ac. Philad. iv. p. 77 (1848).
Odoiitophorus lineolatus^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi.

32 (1850).
Dadylorlyx thoraclciis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 429 (1893).

Adult Male. — Crown, nape, and mantle reddish-brown, mixed
with black, and with pale shoulder-stripes ; shoulder-feathers
and wings very similar but largely mixed with black ; lower
back and rump mostly olive-brown ; eyebrow-stripes, cheeks,
and throat, reddish-chestnut ; a b hick patch on the sides of the
throat; under-parts grey, tinged with reddish-brown, and with
white shafts ; middle of belly and vent white. Total length,
9 inches ; wing, 5*3; tail, 2*2; tarsus, 1*3; middle toe and
claw, 1*7.

Adult Female. — Upper-parts much like those of the male ;
eyebrow-stripes and cheeks greyish-white; throat white ; chest
and breast dull brick-red, with pale shafts. Slightly smaller.

Eange.— Central America; Southern Mexico, Yucatan, Guate-
mala, and San Salvador.

Habits. — According to Mr. Salvin, "this is perhaps the
commonest Partridge found on the Volcan de Fuego. The
ravines of this volcano are localities very favoured by several
species of the group. It is not often, however, that they are
to be found actually at the bottom of the hollow, where the
increasing shadow and height of the overhanging trees render
the undergrowth of vegetation comparatively scanty, but most
frequently near the top of either side, in places where a fallen
tree or a slip of soil has laid bare a sunny spot. Such situations
are sought for by these birds to bask and sleep in, like Par-
tridges in a warm hedge-side. They are, however, true forest-
birds, and are usually met with in small flocks of six or eight,
probably the brood of the season.

THE TIIICK-riLT,ED TARTRIDHES. I5I

" When frightened, tlie whole bevy runs up the side of the
ravine, and only when npproaehcd quite suddenly do they take
wing. The consequence is (alas ! that it should be said) that
the sportsman is obliged to shoot them on the ground ; and
the only mode he has of quieting his conscience is, by a stretch
of the imagination, to su[)posc them ' fur,' and not ' feather,'
an 1 take a running shot."

Mr. G. F. Gaumcr says: — "This bird is common in all
the eastern forests of Yucatan^ where it is much esteemed
for its fine flesh and as a household pet. As a pet it is not a
success, living but a few months in confinement. Like the
Quails, this bird lives upon the ground, where it is always seen
in pairs. At nightfall it sings a very pretty song, beginning
with a low whistle, which is three times repeated, each time
with greater force; then follow the syllables che-va-lieu-a re-
peated from three to six times in succession. The tone is musi-
cal, half sad, half persuasive, beginning somewhat cheerfully,
and ending more coaxingly. From its colour and its habit of
remaining immovable while one is passing, this bird is some-
what difficult to see. I have frequently seen it squatting
close to the ground while I passed within a few feet of it.
It seldom flies, and never flies far when compelled to take
wing."

THE THICK-BILLED PARTRIDGES. GENUS
ODONTOPHORUS.

OdontophoncSy Vieillot, Analyse, p. 51 (18 16).

Type, O. guianensis (Gmel.).

Sexes similar or somewhat different in plumage. A mode-
rately long and full crest.

First primary flight-feather shorter than the tenth ; fourth or
fifth rather the longest.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, not more than half the
length of the wing.

Tarsus not longer than the middle toe and claw,

152 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

For convenience the fourteen forms may be divided into two
groups : —

A. Chest and breast not spotted with white (species 1-8,
pp. 152-158).

B. Chest and breast spotted with white (species 9-14, pp.
158-161).

A. Chest and breast not spotted with ivhite,

L THE GUIANA PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS GUIANENSIS.

Tetrao gmanensts, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 767 (1788).
Ferdix deniata, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 419, 734 (181 5).
Perdix rufi?ia, Spix, Av. Sp. Nov. ii. p. 60, pi. 766 (1825).
Odontophorus rufus, Vieillot, Gal. Gis. ii. p. 38, pi. 211

(1825).
Odontophorus guianensis, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi.
25 (1844); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 432

(1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Crown mostly deep chestnut ; nape
and mantle grey, finely mottled with black ; lower back and
rump reddish-brown, more or less dotted with black ; wings
rufous, blotched and marked with black ; outer webs of primary
quills barred with buff ; cheeks^ chin, and sides of throat dark
chest7mt ; m\dd\Q of throat grey; general colour of chest
and rest of under-parts brownish-buff, indistinctly barred with
dusky. Naked skin round eye vermilion.

Adult Male. — Total length, 11-5 inches; wing, 5-9; tail, 28;
tarsus, I "6 ; middle toe and claw, i"8.

Adult Female. — Total length, 10 inches ; wing, 5*4; tail, 2*3;
tarsus, i'5 ; middle toe and claw, i-6.

Habits.— This species frequents the forests, and is never
seen in the savannas or open country. It is a shy bird, and
usually met with singly or in pairs, never in coveys, and, like
he rest of its kind, runs with great speed, but when flushed be-

THE THICK-BILLED PARTRIDGES. 153

takes itself to the branches of trees. It has two distinct notes ;
one a rather loud whistling call, which may be heard at morn-
ing and evening, the other a sound like "Tock'ro," whence its
Macusi name. It is also known as the Duraquara.

Mr. T. K. Salmon writes : — " When wandering one morning
in the forest I saw a pair engaged in the work of nest-making.
The male was in the nest ; and the female appeared to be
building around him. The female made off at my approach,
but the male continued in the nest until I nearly put my hand
on him, no doubt trusting to his dark colour among the leaves
to escape dele::tion. I do not think I should have seen him
had it not been for the scarlet over the eye."

Nest. — Builds its nest into a bank or side of the ground in
the high forest, with a tunnel-like entrance made of interlaced
twigs and sticks, or, perhaps, more properly speaking, with a
neaily executed bow in front of the nest, which is merely a hole
scraped in the ground and lined with dead leaves. {Salmon.)

Eggs.— Six to eight in number; white; measurements, 1-5
by IT inch.

SUB-SP. a. THE MARBLED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
MARMORATUS.

Orfyx {Odoiitophorus) marmoj-atus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, P-

107.
Odoiitophorus pachy?'kynchus, Tschudi, Fauna Peruana, p. 282

(1844-46); Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 24

(1850).
Odoiitophorus juarnwratus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Biit. Mus.

xxii. p. 433 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Appear to be distinguished from O.
guianensis by having the sides of the head and chin rust-red,
and the general colour of the under-parts darker, and almost
invariably barred with black and buff. The sexes do not
appear to differ in size, and the riieasuremeiits are rather larger

154 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

than in the male of O. guiauejisis. This form appears to inter-,
grade with typical O. guianensis, and it seems doubtful if it is
even sub-specifically distinct, but the material at present avail-
able is insufficient to decide this question.

Range. — Western South America, ranging north into Panama
and southwards through the United States of Colombia, Ecua-
dor, and Peru to Bolivia.

Tschudi met with this bird in the Andes of Peru, at an
elevation of from 4,000 to 7,000 feet, but he has published
nothing regarding its habits.

II. THE CAPUEIRA PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPIIORUS CAPUEIRA.

Perdix capueh-a, Spix, Av. Sp. Nov. ii. p. 59, pi, 76 a. (1825).
Orfyx capistrata, Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. i. text to pi. 38.
Odontophorus dentaius, Gould {iiec Temm.), Monogr. Odontoph.

pt. ii. pi. 26 (1S46).
Odontophorus capueira, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p- 434(1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Distinguished from O. guianejisis by
having the mantle brown or rufous-brown, blotched with black,
and with pale buff shaft-stripes ; the outer webs of the primary-
quills barred with white; and the chin, throat, and under-parts
darkgi-ey. Total length, 11 inches; wing, 6-2; tail, 3-1; tar-
sus, 1-8; middle toe and claw, 1-95.

Range. — Eastern South America, extending north to Bahia,
west to Goyaz, and south to Rio Grande do Sul.

Habits. — According to Maximilian, Prince of Wied, this
bird is called Capueira by the Brazilians and closely resembles
the European Hazel Grouse (7>/r^i/^j bonasia) in its habits and
mode of life. It is never met with in the open country, keeping
entirely to the thick woods. In the early part of the year the
Capueira is found in pairs, and after the breeding-season the
families remain in coveys of from ten to sixteen or more iii

THE THICK-BILLED PARTRIDGES. I55

number. 'J'hey are active birds, running very quickly and pro-
curing their food among the fallen leaves in the midst of the
vast forests. The stomachs examined contained fruits, berries,
insects, small stones, and a little sand. 'J'he loud and remark-
able voice of this bird is only heard in the forests, where it com-
mences the call before daybreak, the sound reverberating to a
great distance. Azara says that the cry is uttered by both
sexes, but the Prince was of opinion that only the male bird
called. During the morning and evening twilight the Capu-
eiras perch on a branch in a line very close one to another,
and at this time the male birds frequently give vent to their cry.
The sport afforded by these birds closely resembles that offered
by Hazel Grouse ; when a covey is disturbed by the dogs, they
fly into trees and may sometimes be easily killed, but at other
times they are lost sight of in the dense foliage.

Nest. — Placed on the ground.

Eggs. — Ten to fifteen in number ; pure white.

III. THE BLACK-EARED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
MELANOTIS.

Odo7itophoriis melanotis, Salvin, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 586; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 435 (1893).

Adult Male. — Top of the head and eyebrow-stripes uniform
chestnut ; ear-coverts, chin, and throat black; general colour of
the chest and under-parts deep chestnut. Total length, 9-5
inches; wing, 5-8; tail, 2*2; tarsus, 175; middle toe and claw,
1-85.

Adult Female. — Probably differs from the male in having the
inner webs of the secondary quills tipped with buff, but I have
been unable to examine any female specimens in which the
sex has been actually ascertained.

Range. — Central America ; Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and
Veragua.

Habits.— Very few notes are to be found respecting the habits

156 Allen's naturalist's library.

of the Black-eared Partridge. Mr. C. W. Richmond writes
that he saw a flock of rather over a dozen in the forests on the
Escondido. When approached, the birds flew into the sur-
rounding trees and afterwards off into the woods two or three
at a time. Two were secured.

IV. THE CHESTNUT-EARED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
ERYTHROPS.

Odontophoriis erythrops^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 99; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mas. xxii. p. 435 (1893).

Adult Male. — Like O. juelanotis, but distinguished by its darker
plumage ; the top of the head dark brotvn, contrasting with
the rufous chestnut eyebrow-stripes ; stripe from the gape to
the ear-coverts chestnut ; chest and under-parts darker chest-
nut. Size the same.

Adult Female. — Probably almost similar in plumage to the
male, but no examples in which the sex is indicated have been
examined.

Range. — Western South America ; Ecuador.

V. THE CHESTNUT-THROATED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
HYPERYTHRUS.

Odontophorus hyperythrus^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 223;

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 436 (1893).
Odontophorus hypospodius, Sclater and Salvin, Nomencl. Av.
Neotrop. p. 163 (1873).

Adult Male. — General colour above olive-brown, slightly
washed with rufous, and finely mottled with black ; eyebrow-
stripes, chin, th'oat, and under-parts deep rust-red, paler towards
the middle ; thighs and undertail-coverts reddish-brown mottled
with black. Total length, 11 inches; wing, 59; tail, 2*4;
tarsus, 2 ; middle toe and claw, 2*15.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the breast and
rest of the under-parts dark grey, shading into blackish-grey on
the flanks. Measurements somewhat smaller.

THE THICK-KILLED PARTRIDGES. 1 57

Young Females. — Apparently resemble the male parent^ and
have the whole of the under-parts rust-coloured.

Range. — North-western South America ; United States of
Colombia.

VI. THE RUFOUS-BREASTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
SPECIOSUS.

OdontopJwrus speciosus, Tschudi, Wiegm. Arch. 1843, p. 387 ;
id. Fauna Peruana, p. 281, pi. xxxiii. (1844-46); Gould,
Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 25 (1850); Ogilvic-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 437 (1893).

Adult Male. — Like the male of O. hyperyiJirus but dis-
tinguished by having the general colour of the top of the head
and upper-parts dark reddish-brown ; the back of the neck and
mantle with pale buff shaft-stripes ; mottled black and white
eyebrow-stripes, and black chin and throat. Under-pai ts bright
rust-red. Total length, 10 inches; wing, 57; tail, 2-2; tarsus,
I '8 ; middle toe and claw, i'q.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the breast and
belly dark grey. Size rather smaller.

Range. — Western South America ; Ecuador and Peru.

VII. THE PLACK-EYEBROWED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
MELANONOTUS.

Odontophorus melanonotus^ Gould, P. Z. S. i860, p. 382 ;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 438 (1893).

Adult. — General colour of the upper-parts deep brownish-
black indistinctly mottled with pale rufous; eyebrow-stripes ^rtir/C'
brownish-black ; chin, throat, and upper breast deep rust-red ;
rest of under-parts like the back, but with more strongly marked
sandy mottlings. Total length, 10 inches; wing, 5-5; tail,
2*1 ; tarsus, 2 ; middle toe and claw, 2-15.

Nothing is known of the life history of this rare bird, and,

158 Allen's naturalist's lil!Rar\'.

in the only examples I have examined, the sex had not been
ascertained, so it is uncertain if the male and female differ in
plumage.

Eange. — Western South America ; Ecuador.

VIIL TPIE BLACK-BREASTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPIIORUS
LEUCOL^MUS.

Odoiitophorus leucohEmus, Salvin, P. Z. S. 1067, p. 161 ;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 43S (1893).

Adult Male and Female, — Easily distinguished from the last
species and those previously described by having the forehead,
sides of the head and throat, as well as the chest a?id breast
black ; the middle of the throat while ; the rest of the under
parts rich rufous-brown mixed with black on the belly. In
male: Total length, 9 inches; wing, 5-3; tail, 2-2; tarsus,
I -8 ; middle toe and claw, 1-95. Female, rather smaller.

Rauge. — Central America ; Costa Rica and Veragua.

B. Chest and breast spotted with white.

IX. THE STARRED PARTRIDGE. ODOXTOPHORUS STELLATUS.

Ortyx {OdontopJiorus) stellata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 1S3.
Odontophorus stetlatus, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi.
27 (1846); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 439

(i893)-

Adult IiIalG. — Above very similar to O. guiane/isis, but the
crest is longer and the hinder part bright rufous-chestinit ; chin
and throat grey ; under-parts deep brick-7'ed; the sides of the
chest and breast with diamond-shaped ivhite spots sometimes
edged with black. Total length, 10*5 inches; wing, 5-5 ; tail,
2'7 ; tarsus, i"5; middle toe and claw, i-6.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the hinder
part of the crest deep brownish-black. Rather smaller.

TIIK TI11CK-1]1LI.KD PARTRIDGES. 1 59

Range. — Central Soulli America, extending westward to
Eastern Ecuador and Eastern Peru, eastwards to Borba, Rio
Madiera.

Habits. — Mr. E. Bartlett always found this species in
coveys of from ten to twelve birds. In Eastern Peru
he met with young birds just able to fly in the morith of

July.

X. THE SPOTTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS GUTTATUS.

Ortyx guttata^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 79.

Odontophorus guitatus^ Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. ii. pi.

28 (1846) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 439

(1893).
Odontophorus consobrinus, Ridgway, P. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p.

469 (1893).

Adult Male. — Above very similar to O. guiancnsis, but the
nape and mantle olive-brown instead of grey ; forehead and
fore-part of crest brownish-black ; hinder-part bright rust-red;
cheeks, chin, and throat black ivitli whiie sJiaft-stripes ; general
colour of the under-parts broivnish-buff^ with white black-edf^ed
spots. Total length, iro inches; wing, 5-9; tail, 2-8; tarsus,
17 ; middle toe and claw, 1-9.

Adult Female. — Differs from the tiiale in having the whole
crest brownish-black ;* and well-marked luhUish-bitff shaft-
stripes to the feathers of the mantle, which are scarcely visible
in fully adult males. Specimens from Costa Rica and Chiriqui,
where the ranges of this and the following species overlap, are
somewhat intermediate, having the under-parts more or less
washed with rufous.

Range. — Central America ; Southern Mexico to Chiriqui.

* In younger examples the under-feathers of -he crest are mixed with
rufous.

i6o allen's naturalists library.

XI. THE VERAGUA SPOTTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
VERAGUENSIS.

Odontophorus vemgiicnsis, Gould. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 107;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 441 (1893).
Adult Male.— Distinguished from the male of O. guttaius by
having the whole top of the head and crest rust-red, and t.- j
under-parls rufous or rufous-brown. Total length, 9*5 inches ;
wing, 57 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, i"65 ; middle toe and claw, i"75.

Adult Female. — Differs only in having the top of the head and
crest browner ; size slightly smaller.

Range. — Central America, extending from Panama to Costa
Rica.

XII. BALLIVIAN's SPOTTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
BALLIVIANI.

Odontophorus ballivia7tt, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 69; id.
Monogr. Odontoph. p. iii. pi. 29 (1850); Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 441 (1893).

Adult. — Most like O. veragucnsis, but the upper-parts are
more rufous and less heavily blotched with black; crest dark
chestnut ; the eyebrow-stripes, chin, and a band on each side
of the head below the ear-coverts are biiff or rufous-buff ; the
throat snioky-buff \i\\h pale buff shafts ; the general colour of
the under-parts deep chestnut, the diamond-shaped white black-
edged spots being targe and conspicuous, especially on the sides.
Total length, 10*5 inches; wing, 5*8; tail, 27; tarsus, i-8;
middle toe and claw, 2.

In the only specimens of this rare Partridge which I have
been able to examine, the sex had not been indicated, and
it is not known to what extent, if any, the male differs from
the female in plumage.

Range. — Western South America ; Peru and Bolivia.

THE TIIFCK-P.ILLED PARTRIDGES. l6l

XIII. THE GORGETED PARTRID(;E. ODONTOPHORUS STROPHIUiM.

Oriyx {Odontophoriis) strophiu/n^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, p. 134.
Odoniophones stropliiuni, (iould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi.
31 (1844); Ogilvie-Grant. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 442
(1893).

Adult. — Top of tlie head deep brown ; nape deep chestnut ;
mantle reddish-brown with whitish shafts ; primary quills uni-
form dark brown, the upper-parts otherwise very similar to
those of O. guianensis ; chin white ; throat black; fore-part
of neck whitc\ margined below by a black band ; general colour
of under-parts deep rust-red, paler towards the middle, and all
all spotted with white. Total length, io'5 inches; wing, 5-8 ;
tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, 2 ; middle toe and claw, 2*i.

It is not known whether the sexes differ in plumage. It is
possible that the above description may apply to the adult
female, and that the white shaft-stripes of the mantle may be
characteristic of that sex, as in O. guttatus.

Range. — North-western South America ; the United States of
Colombia.

XIV. THE CARACAS SPOTTED PARTRIDGE. ODONTOPHORUS
COLOMBIANUS.

Odontophoi'us columbianus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 94; id.

Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 30 (1850); Ogilvie-Grant,

Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 442 (1893).

Adult. — Upper-parts very similar to those of the last species,

O. stropJiiuni^ but the throat as well as the chin white,

barred on the sides ivith blacky and surrounded by a black

band widest on the fore-neck ; the general colour of the

under-parts reddish-brown, the white spots being large and

well-marked. Total length, 11 inches; wing, 57, tail, 2-5;

tarsus, I "85 ; middle toe and claw, 2*05.

It is not known in what particulars, if any, the sexes differ
in plumage.
Range. — Northern South America ; Venezuela.

12 i.r

1 62 Allen's naturalist's library.

THE LONG-LEGGED COLINS. GENUS RHYNCHORTYX.
lihynchortyx^ Ogilvie-Cirant, Cat. D. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 443

(1893).

Type, R. spodiosictliiis (Salvin).

Plumage of sexes similiar (P)'-^ No distinct crest.

First primary flight- feather infermediafe in length between
the eighth and ninth ; fourth longest.

Tail composed of ten feathers, less than half the length of
the wing.

Tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw.

Bill very stout.

Only two small species are known.

L THE LONG-LEGGED COLIN. RHYNCHORTYX SPODIOSTETHUS.

Odontophorus spodiosiethus, Salvin, Ibis, 1878, p. 447.
Rhynchortyx spodiosfethus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 443 (1893).

{Plate XXXIV.)

Adult. — Crown of head rusty-brown ; mantle dark grey, edged
with reddish-brown ; lower back and rump thickly mottled
with grey ; shoulder-feathers brown with chestnut margins ;
wing-coverts greyish-brown mixed with buff and blotched with
black ; forehead, eyebrow-stripes, sides of head, and throat
bright rust-red ; middle of chin and throat ivhitish ; neck, chest,
and sides of breast, dark-grey, shading into buff on the middle
of the breast and belly. Total length, 7-5 inches ; wing, 4-9;
tail, 1-8 ; tarsus, 1-4; middle toe and claw, 1*15.

Range. — Central America ; Panama.

IL THE CHESTNUT-ZONED LONG-LEGGED COLIN. RHYN-
CHORTYX CINCTUS.

Odontophoriis ciiidus, Salvin, Ibis, 1876, p. 397 ; Rowley, Orn.
Misc. iii. p. 39, pi. Ixxxvi. (1878).

* No specimens in which the sex has been ascertained have been ex-
amined.

PLATE XKXtV.

-s****!^

LONG-LEGGED COLIN.

THE MEGAPODES, URUSH-TURKEYS, AND MALEOS. 1 63

Rhyiichortyx ductus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Urit. Mas. xxii. p.
444(1893).

Adult.— Differs from R. spodioslethus in having the crown,
mantle, f/zd'j/, and sides of the breast deep rufous; the eyebrow-
stripes and sides of head dull olive-brown ; a white band from
the base of the upper mandible to the eye, and continued behind
the eye along the sides of the neck ; the chin and throat white;
and the rest of the undcr-parts white, barred with black, except
down the middle of the body. Total length, 7-5 inches ; wing,
4*6; tail, 17; tarsus, 1-3; middle toe and claw, 1-15.

Range. — Central America ; Veragua.

THE MEGAPODES, BRUSH-TURKEYS, AND
MALEOS. FAMILY MEGAPODHD^.

Distinguished by having the hind toe or hallux on the same
level as the other toes, and its basal phalanx as long as that of
the third toe.

The oil-gland at the base of the tail nude.

Eggs deposited in the sand or in a mound raised by one or
more pairs of birds ; the young hatched fully feathered, with-
out the intervention of the parent bird, and able to fly almost
from birih.

Dr. A. R. Wallace makes the following remarks on this in-
teresting group of birds : —

"The very peculiar habits of the whole family of the Mega-
podiidce, departing widely from those of all other birds, may
also, I think, be shown to be almost the necessary results of
certain peculiarities of organisation. These peculiarities are
two— the size and the number of the eggs, and the nature of
the food on which these birds subsist. Each egg being so
large as to fill up the abdominal cavity and with difficulty
pass the walls of the pelvis, a considerable interval must elapse
before the succeeding ones can be matured. The number of

M 2

1 64 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

eggs which a bird produces each season seems to be about
eight, so that an interval of three months elapses between the
laying of the first and last egg. Now, supposing the eggs to be
hatched in the oidinary way, they must be laid on the ground
(for the general structure of the birds renders the construc-
tion of an arboreal nest impossible) and must be incessantly
watched by the parents during that long interval, or they
would be surely destroyed by the large lizards which abound
in the same district. It seems probable, however, that the
eggs could not retain the vital principle for so long a time, so that
the bird would have to sit on them from the commencement,
and hatch them successively. But the period of incubation is
a severe tax upon all birds, even when it is comparatively short,
and food easily obtained. In this case complete incubation
would be most likely impossible, because the particular species
of fruits on which these birds subsist would be soon exhausted
around any one locality, and both parents and offspring would
perish of hunger. If this view is correct, the Megapodiidm
must behave as they do. They must quit their eggs to obtain
their own subsistence ; they must bury them to preserve them
from wild animals ; and each species does this is the manner
which slighter modifications of structure render most con-
venient."

THE TRUE MEGAPODES. GENUS MEGAPODIUS.

Alegapodhts, Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. Uranie, p. 125 (1824).

Type, M.freydneti, Q. and G.

The upper tail-coverts /lot reaching to the extremity of the
tail-feathers.

In some species the head and neck for the most part
feathered, while in others these parts, with the exception of
the crown and nape, are almost entirely naked.

Bill slender.

Nostrils ova/.

THE TRUE MEC.APODES. 1 65

First primary flight-feather about equal to or rather shorter
than the tenth; the fifth somewhat the longest. Secondary
q It His as long as the primaries.

Tail short and rounded, composed of twelve feathers.

Legs (metatarsi) and feet very large and strong ; fore-part of
legs covered by a single row of large scales.

Claws long and straight, that of the middle toe being much
longer than the upper mandible, measured from the posterior
wall of the nostril to the tip.

I. THE NICOBAR MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS NICOBARIENSIS.

Megapodms ni.obatiensis, Blyth, J. As. Soc Beng. xv. pp. 52,
372 (1846); V. Pelz. Reise Novara, Vog. p. no, pis. iv.
and vi. fig. 12 [egg] (1865) ; Hume and Marshall, Game-
Birds of India, i. p. 119, pi. (1878); iii. App. p. 428,
pi. ii. (1880); Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs, Ind.
B. iii. p. 449 (1890); Ggilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 447 (1893).

Megxpodius tj'inkutensis, Sharpe. Ann. Mag. N. H. (4) xiii. p.
448 (1874).

Adult Male and Female. — Upper-parts dull olive-brown, the
mantle being similarly coloured to the rest of the upper-parts,
wing-coverts and outer webs of quills biighter than the back;
those of the outer primary quills being pale ochraceous ; under-
parts pale grey, washed with brown on the chest. Total length,
14-5 inches; wing, 9*2; tail, 2*9; tarsus, 27.

Younger examples have the neck feathered and the under-
parts brown or rufous-brown.

In some examples I have examined the crown is partially or
entirely naked and covered with thick black-looking skin, which
has much the appearance of a scab. This peculiarity, which is
not due to age, is no doubt abnormal, and possibly caused by
disease.

Range, — Nicobar Islands.

t66 Allen's naturallst's lieuary.

Habits. — According to Mr. A. O. Hume, " The Megapode
never wanders far from the sea-shore, and throughout the day it
keeps in thickish jungle, a hundred yards or so above high
water mark. It never, so far as I observed, emerged on to the
open grass hills that form so conspicuous a feature in many
of the Nicobars, but throughout the day hugged the belt of
more or less dense jungle that in most places, along the whole
coast line, supervenes abruptly on the white coral beach. At
dusk, during moonlight nights, and in the early dawn, glimpses
may be caught of them running about on the shore or even at
til 3 very water's edge, but during daylight they skulk in the
jungle.

"They are to be met with in pairs, coveys, and flocks of
from thirty to fifty. They run with great rapidity and rise un-
willingly, running and flying just like jungle hens. They often
call to each other, and when a party has been surprised and
dispersed, they keep on talking to each other incessantly, half-
a-dozen cackling at the same time. The note is not unlike the
chuckling of a hen that has recently laid an egg, and is anxious
to publish the stupendous fact in nature's pages ; it may be
syllabled in a variety of ways, but several of us agreed that on the
whole kiik-a-kuk-ki:ik ! most nearly represented their chuckling,
cackling call.

" The stomachs of all we examined contained tiny land-shells
(sometimes with the animals not yet dead), larvce of insects,
dissolved matter, apparently vegetable, and minute fragments
and particles of quartz or other hard rocks.

" As gime they are unsurpassed. The flesh, very white, very
sweet and juicy, loaded with fat, is delicious, a sort oi juste
milieu between that of a fat Norfolk Turkey and a fat Norfolk
Pheasant.

" The eggs, too, are quite equal, if not superior, to those of
the Pea-Fowl, and, to my mind, higher commendation cannot be
given.

" But it is in regard to their nidification that these birds pos-

THE TRUE MEGAPODES. 167

scss the highest interest. Moderate-sized birds as they are,
they gradually manage to accumulate tumuli that would not
have done discredit to the final resting-place of some ancient
British hero, and in these they bury their eggs and leave them
to be hatched by the heat evolved, as I believe, by fermenla-
tion in the interior of these mounds."

The late Mr. W. R. Davison, one of the finest field natura-
lists that ever lived, says :— " I have seen a great many mounds
of this bird. Usually they are placed close to the shore, but
on Bompoka and on Katchall I saw two mounds some
distance inland in the forest. They were composed of dried
leaves, sticks, &c., mixed with earth, and were very small com-
pared with others near the sea-coast, not being above three
feet high, and about twelve or fourteen feet in circumference ;
those built near the coast are composed chiefly of sand mixed
with rubbish, and vary very much in size, but average about
five feet high and thirty feet in circumference ; but I met with
one exceptionally large one on the Island of Trinkut, which
must have been at least eight feet high and quite sixty feet in cir-
cumference. It was apparently a very old one, for from near
its centre grew a tree about six inches in diameter, whose
roots penetrated the mound in all directions to within a foot of
its summit, some of them being nearly as thick as a man's
wrist. I had this mound dug away almost to the level of the
surrounding land, but only got three eggs from it, one quite
fresh, and two in which the chicks were somewhat developed.
" Off this mound I shot a Megapode, which had evidently
only just laid an egg. I dissected it, and from a careful
examination it would seem that the eggs are laid at long inter-
vals apart, for the largest egg in the ovary was only about the
size of a large pea, and the next in size about as big as a small
pea. These mounds are also used by reptiles, for out of one
I dug, besides the Megapode's eggs, about a dozen eggs of
some large lizard.

" I made careful enquiries among the natives about these

1 68 Allen's naturalist's library.

birds, and from them I learnt that they usually get four or five
eggs from a mound, but sometimes they get as many as ten ;
they all assert that only one pair of birds are concerned in the
making of a mound, and that they only work at night. When
newly made, the mounds (so I was informed) are small, but

are gradually enlarged by the birds

The eggs are usually buried from three-and-a-half to four
feet deep, and how the young manage to extricate themselves
from the superincumbent mass of soil and rubbish seems a
mystery. I could not obtain any information from natives on
this point, but most probably they are assisted by their parents,
if not entirely freed by them, for these latter, so the natives
affirm, are always to be found in the vicinity of the mounds
where their eggs are deposited.

" The surface soil of the mounds only is dry ; at about a
foot from the surface the sand feels slightly damp and cold, but
as the depth increases the sand gets damper, but at the same
time increases in warmth."

Eggs. — Very large elongate ovals, uniform in colour and of
three distinct types, dull clayey-pink, earthy-yellow, and earthy-
brown of several shades. Average measurements, 3*25 by
2*07 inches.

II. THE TENIMBER MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS
TENIMBERENSIS.

Megapodius tenimberensis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 57; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 448 (1893).

Adult Male. — Closely resembles M. iiicoharietisis^ but may be
recognised by having the outer webs of the outer primary
quills pale brown ; the upper part of the mantle may be very
slightly washed with grey and the sides of the head, chin, and
throat are more thickly covered with small feathers. Total
length, 14 inches ; wing, 9-6 ; tail, 3-5 ; tarsus, 2-9.

The adult female is no doubt similar to the male, but the

rilK TRUE MEGAPODES. 169

two typical examples in the British Museum collection are
both males.
Range. — Tenimber Islands, Moluccas.

III. CUMINr.'s MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS CUMINGI.

Megapodius cumingii, Dillwyn, P. Z. S. 185 1, p. 118, pi. 39;
Motley and Dillwyn, Contr. N. H. Labuan, p. 32, pi. 7
(1855); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 449

(1893)-

Megapodius gilbertii^ Gray, P. Z.S. 1861, p. 289.

Megapodius lowi, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1875, P- m-

Megapodius pitsillus^ Tweedd. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 765, pi. ixxviii.

(Juv.).
Megapodius dillwyni, Tweedd. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 766.

Adult Male and Female. — Whole plumage darker than in M.
nicobarie?isis, especially the under-parts, which are dark grey.
The upper-parts vary considerably in different individuals,
some being olive-brown, others more or less washed with
rufous. Total length, 15 inches; wing, 9; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 27.

Range. — Philippine Islands, extending south to Palawan and
the small islands off the north coast of Borneo ; also met with
in the Sula Islands, Celebes, and Tojian Islands.

Habits. — INIessrs. Motley and Dillwyn give the following notes
on Cuming's Megapode : — "In Labuan they are not uncommon,
and are said to be principally confined to small islands, to such
more especially as have sandy beaches ; they are very rarely to
be seen, being extremely shy and frequenting dense and flat
parts of the jungle, where the ratans grow, and where the
luxuriance of the vegetation renders cencealment easy. The
Malays snare them by forming long thick fences in un-
frequented parts of the jungle, in which at certain intervals they
leave openings where they place traps ; the birds run through
the jungle in search of food, and coming to this fence, run

170 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY,

along it till they find one of the openings, through which they
push their way, and are caught in the trap. In walking they
lift up their feet very high, and set up their backs something
like Guinea-fowls ; they frequently make a loud noise like the
screech of a chicken when caught ; they are very pugnacious,
and fight with great fury by jumping upon one another's backs
and scratching with their long strong claws. Their food
principally consists of seeds and insects," A very large and
perfect mound about twenty feet in diameter was visited
by Mr. Motley, and was composed of sand, earth, and sticks,
and situated just within the jungle above high-water mark.
The boatmen managed to find about a dozen eggs buiied at a
depth of from one to three feet and placed in an upright posi-
tion, the ground about them being astonishingly hard. The
eggs thus obtained were placed in a box of sand, and it was
afterwards discovered that they had all hatched, but from
neglecting to place them in a proper {i.e., probably upright)
position, the chicks had been unable to get up through the
sand and had all perished. On another occasion one of a num-
ber of eggs brought in by natives hatched out at the end of three
weeks. A Malay who saw the young bird emerge said that it
just shook off the sand and ran away so fast that it was only
caught with difficulty ; it then appeared to be nearly half-grown,
and from the first fed itself without hesitation, scratching and
turning up the sand like an old bird.

Eggs Like those of M. nicobarietisis ; long, perfect ovals ;

pinkish stone colour. Average measurements, 3-2 by 2
inches.

IV. THE SANGHIR MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS SANGHIRENSIS.

Mcgapodius sanghire?isis, Schlegel, Notes Leyd Mus. ii. p. 91
(1880); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 450

(1893).
Adult. — Upper-parts dark cliestnut-brcrivn without any olive

THE TRUE Mi:r.APODES. IJJ

shade; under-parts dar/c l>row7i. Total length, 14 inches;
wing, 9 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus 2*5.
Range. — Sanghir Islands.

V. r.ERNSTEIN's MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIU.S RERNSTEINI.

Megapodius bernsieinii, Schlegel, Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. iii. p.
261(1866); Ogilvie-(jrant, Cat. B. Brit. Miis. xxii. p.
450 (1893).

Adult. — Upper-parts much like those o^ M. ciimingi, but the
outer webs of the flight-feathers more strongly washed with
rufous and the lower back dark brownish-chestnut ; chest
olive-brown, shading into rufous-brown on the under-parts,
which are not nearly so dark as those of M. sanghirensis.
Total length, 12 inches; wing, 7-5; tail, 2-3; tarsus, 2'^,

Eange. — Sula Islands, Celebean Archipelago.

VI. FORSTEN's MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS FORSTENI.

Megapodius forstenii^ Temm. ; Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 491, pi.
124 (1847) \ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 451

(1893).
Mcgapodius affifiis, Meyer, SB. Ak. Wien. Ixix. p. 215 (1874).
Megapodius dccollatns^ Oustal. Bull. Assoc. Sci. Fr. xxi. p. 248

(1878).

Adult. — Mantle dark grey, contrasting with the olive-brown
of the rest of the upper-parts ; feathers of the forehead exte?td-
tjig to the base of the bill ; a short but distinct crest; belly
brownish-grey; legs dark (olive-brown). Total length, 14-5
inches ; wing, 8-6 ; tail, 2*8 ; tarsus, 2*7.

Range. — Bourou, Amboina, Ceram, and Goram, extending
North to Western New Guinea, Jobi Island, and d'Urville
Island off the north coast of New Guinea.

Habits. — Dr. A. R. Wallace notes that " this bird deposits its
eggs in a heap of rubbish collected in low places near the sea.

1^2 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

It is semi-nocturnal in its habits, making a loud Availing cry,
which is often heard at night and about daybreak."

VII. THE ASTROLABE BAY MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS
BRUNNEIVENTRIS.

Megapodius brujineivejitris, Meyer, Abh. Zool. Mus. Dresd.

1890-91, No. 4, p. 15 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit.

Mus. xxii. p. 452 (1893).

Adult. — Said to resemble M. forstetii, but with the belly

brown. 1 have had no opportunity of examining the typical

example of this species, but it seems probable that it may

prove to be merely an immature example of Forsten's Mega-

pode.

Range. — Astrolabe Bay, North-east New Guinea.

vin. brenchley's megapode. megapodius eremita.
Megapodius eremita, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 830 ; Sclater,
Voy. Challenger, p. 32, pi. xi. (1880); Studer, in Fors-
chungsreise, S. M. S. " Gazelle," iii. p. 253, pi. xii. (1889) ;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 452 (1893).
Megapodius brenchhyi, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H. (4) v. p. 328
(1870); id. Cruise "Cura9oa,"p. 392, pl.2o(i873); Sharpe,
in Gould's B. New Guin. pt. xxii. pi. xi. (18S6).
Megapodius hueskeri, Cab. and Reichenow, J. f. O. 1876. p.

326.
Megapodius ruhrifrons, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 556.

Adult Male and Female. — Forehead naked, with the exception
of a few minute plumes ; mantle dark grey, contrasting with
the olive-brown head and upper-parts ; lower back washed
with dark chestnut ; under-parts dark grey, browner on the
belly and thighs. Fegs black, or dark olive. Total length, 15
inches; wing, 8-8-9-2 ; tail, 2*5-3; tarsus, 2-6-2-8.

Range — Admiralty Islands, New Hanover, New Ireland,
Duke of York Island, New Britain and the Solomon Islands.

THE TRUE MEGAPODES. 173

Habits. — Writing of this Megapode as observed in New
Britain, where it is especially numerous, Mr. E. L. Lay-
ard says: — "This bird is a perfect nuisance in Blanche
Bay, the whole place, both on the grassy fiats and bush-
covered hill-sides, being so undermined with their nesting-
holes that we were continually stumbling into them, not-
withstanding all our care in walking. Like domestic Fowls,
they lay indiscriminately in each other's nests. Some of these
are regular excavations, six or seven feet deep. Going shoot-
ing one day, I saw two flat white things moving in the mouth
of a small cavern by the side of the road. Upon closer in-
spection they proved to be the upturned soles of a native's
feet, their owner being head downwards, nearly six feet under-
ground. He presently emerged with five eggs, which I pur-
chased on the spot for a penny stick of tobacco. The con-
sumption of eggs by the ' Renard's ' thirty men was something
enormous, the price aloi^igside being six eggs for one stick of
tobacco. The birds were very numerous, and when flushed
took to the trees. . . . The great holes in the plain are
easily accounted for. A Megapode scratches a hole and buries
her egg ; a native comes along, rakes out the egg with his
hands, but does not fill the hole up again. Another bird lays
at the bottom of the excavation, and a native digs it out
again, until at length a perfect tunnel is formed in the soft
volcanic earth."

According to Dr.O. Finsch : — " They seem to lay all the year
round, except in the rainy months, when eggs are very rare,
and for a short time not to be had at all. A year and a half
ago (in 1 881), forty eggs could be bought from the natives for
one stick of tobacco; now one gets only two.

"Although Megapodius eremita is very common, one very
seldom gets a sight of it. It runs very quickly through the
jungle, or is seen only on the wing for a moment among the
foliage of the trees. The young ones, when hatched, arc
already able to fly. It is singular that among the numerous

174 Allen's naturalists libkary.

specimens (about forty) I got, there was not a single male bird ;
they were all females."

Eggs. — Like those of M. iiicobariensis^ pale cinnamon colour.
Average measurements, 3 by 1*9 inches.

Lx. macgillivray's megapode. megapodius macgilli-
vrayl

Megapodius macgillivrayi^ Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 289; 1864,
p. 43; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 460, pi. xliii. ; Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 453 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Much like M. eremiia in general ap-
pearance, but easily distinguished by the colour of the legs,
which are orange-red ; the feathers on the crown and back of
the head are rather long, and form a short thick a-est ; flanks
blackish-grey. Total length, 13-5 inches; wing, 8-5-8-9 ; tail,
3-3-2; tarsus, 2-3-2-7.

Range. — Louisiade Archipelago, extending to the shores of
Huon Gulf and the Astrolabe Mountains.

Habits. — Mr. J. Macgillivray, the original discoverer of this
Megapode, writes as follows : — " In habits this bird resembles
the Australian species, especially in constructing enormous
mounds for the reception of its eggs. Those which I saw
averaged five feet in height and fifteen in diameter, and were
composed of the sandy soil of the neighbourhood, mixed up
with rotten sticks and leaves, but without any shells or coral.
Some were placed on the outer margin of the thickets close to
the beach, and others were scattered about more inland. As
several of these mounds showed indications of having lately
b^en opened by the birds, I entertained hopes of being able
to procure an egg, but after digging several pits three feet in
depth, with no more efficient implements than my hands, I
had to give up the work from sheer exhaustion. This bird is
apparently very pugnacious at times, as I frequently saw them
chasing each other along the ground, running with great swift-

THE TRUE MEGAPODES. I 75

ness, and uttering their cry more loudly than usual, stopping
short suddenly^ and again starting off in pursuit. The cry con-
sists of one or two shrill notes uttered at intervals, and ending
in a hurried tremulous cry, repeated live or six times. The
noise made by this Megapodiiis while scratching among the
dead leaves for food may sometimes be imitated with such
success as to bring the bird running up within gunshot. When
suddenly forced to rise from the ground, it flies up into a tree,
and remains there motionless, but exceedingly vigilant, ready
to start on the approach of anyone, but on other occasions it
trusts to its legs to escape. Its food is entirely procured on
the ground, and consists of insects and their larvae (especially
the pupae of ants), small snails, and various fallen seeds and
fruits."

X. DUPERREY's MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS DUPERREYI.

Megapodius diiperreyii, Less, and Garn. Bull. Sci. Nat. viii. p.
113 (1826) ; Less. Voy. "Coquille," i. pt. ii. p. 700, pi, 36
(1828) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 454

(1893)-
Megapodius riibripes^ Temm. PL Col. v. pi. 46 [No. 411]

(1826).
Megapodius reifiwardtii, Wagler, Syst. Av. Addit. Megapodius,

p. 378, sp. 4 (1827) ; id. Isis, 1829, p. 736.
Megapodius tumulus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 20 ; id. B. Austr.

v. pt. vi. pi. 79 (1842); Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 290, pi.

xxxiv.
Megapodius gouldi and M. auiboinetisis, Gray, P. Z. S. 1861,

pp. 290, 293.
Megapodius assimiiis, Masters, P. Linn. Soc. N. S. \Y. i. p. 59

(1887).

Adult Male and Female. — A well-developed brown crest; mantle
grey ; back and wings olive-brown ; lower back and rump dark
chestnut : under-parts smoky-grey ; sides and flanJzs mostly

176 Allen's naturalist's library.

dark chestnut. Legs orange-red. Total length, 14-16*8 inches;
wing, 8-8-io*2 ; tail, 3*6-4*i ; tarsus, 2-55-3'o.

Range. — Extending in the west to the Kangeang Archipelago
and thence eastwards through Lombock, Flores, Sumba,
Banda, Kei, Aru, Salawatti, Western and Southern New
Guinea, and the islands of Torres Straits to North-east
Australia.

As might be expected with a species occupying so wide a
range, considerable differences are to be found on comparing
examples from Flores and Lombock {M. gouldi, Gray) with
those from Australia, the former being smaller and much
lighter in colour than the latter. But these differences are so
entirely bridged over by specimens from the intermediate
islands, that it is impossible to regard them as being specifi-
cally distinct, the two extremes passing imperceptibly into
one another.

Habits. — The following interesting notes are extracted from
Gilbert's account of the habits of this species as observed by
him in Northern Australia. He says : — " I landed beside a
thicket, and had not proceeded far from the shore ere I came
to a mound of sand and shells, with a slight mixture of black
soil, the base resting on a sandy beach, only a few feet above
high water mark ; it was enveloped in the large yellow-blos-
somed Hibiscus, was of a conical form, twenty feet in circum-
ference at the base, and about five feet in height. On point-
ing it out to a native and asking him what it was, he replied,
" Oooregoorga Rambal," Megapode's house or nest. I then
scrambled up to the sides of it, and to my extreme delight
found a young bird in a hole about two feet deep ; it was lying
on a few dry, withered leaves, and appeared to be only a few
days old. . . .

"As it fed rather freely on bruised Indian corn, I was in
full hopes of rearing it ; but it proved of so wild and in-
tractable a disposition that it would not reconcile itself to such

THE TRUE IMEGAPODKS. I 77

close confinement, and effected its escape on the third day.
During the period it remained in captivity it was incessantly
occupied in scratching up the sand into heaps ; and the
rapidity with which it threw the sand from one end of the
box to the other was quite surprising for so young and small
a bird, its size not being larger than that of a small Quail. At
night it was so restless that I was constantly kept awake by the
noise it made in its endeavours to escape. In scratching up
the sand it only used one foot, and having grasped a handful^
as it were, the sand was thrown behind it, with but little
apparent exertion, and without shifting its standing position on
the other leg. . . .

" I continued to receive the eggs without having an oppor-
tunity of seeing them taken from the mound until the 6th of
February, when on again visiting Knocker's Bay I had the
gratification of seeing two taken from a depth of six feet in
one of the largest mounds I had then seen. In this instance
the holes ran down in an oblique direction from the centre to-
wards the outer slope of the hillock, so that, although the eggs
were six feet deep from the summit, they were only two feet
deep from the side. The birds are said to lay but a single egg
in each hole, and after the egg is deposited the earth is imme-
diately thrown in lightly until the hole is filled up; the upper part
of the mound is then smoothed and rounded over. It is easily
known when a Megapode has been recently excavating, from
the distinct impressions of its feet on the top and sides of the
mound, and the earth being so lighdy thrown over, that with a
slender stick the direction of the hole is readily detected, the
ease or difficulty of thrusting the stick down indicating the
length of time that may have elapsed since the bird's opera-
tions. . .

"I revisited Knocker's Bay o;i the loth of February, and
having with some difficulty penetrated into a dense thicket of
cane-like, creeping plants I suddenly found myself beside a
mound of gigantic proportions. It was fifteen feet in height and

12 N

178 Allen's naturalist's library.

sixty in circumference at tlie base, the upper part being about
a tliird less, and was entirely composed of the richest descrip-
tion of light vegetable mould ; on the top were very recent
marks of the bird's feet. The native and myself immediately
set to work, and after an hour's extreme labour, rendered the
more fatiguing from the excessive heat, and the tormenting
attacks of myriads of mosquitoes and sand-flies, I succeeded in
obtaining an egg from a depth of about five feet ; it was in a
perpendicular position, with the earth surrounding and very
likely touching it on all sides, and without any other material
to impart warmth, which in fact did not appear necessary,
the mound being quite warm to the hands. The holes in this
mound commenced at the outer edge of the summit, and ran
obliquely towards the centre ; their direction, therefore, is not
uniform. Like the majority of the mounds I have seen, th's
was so enveloped in thickly foliaged trees as to preclude the
possibility of the sun's rays reaching any part of it. . . .
The mounds are doubtless the work of many years, and of
many birds in succession ; some of them are evidently very
ancient, trees being often seen growing from their sides ; in one
instance I found a tree growing from the middle of a mound
which was a foot in diameter. . . . The natives say that
only a single pair of birds are ever found at one mound at a
time, and such, judging from my own observation, I believe
to be the case ; they also affirm that the eggs are deposited at
night, at intervals of several days, and this I also believe to be
correct, as four eggs taken on the same day, and from the same
mound, contained young in different stages of development ;
and the fact that they are always placed perpendicularly is
established by the concurring testimony of all the different
tribes of natives I have questioned on the subject. . . .
It is at all times a very difficult bird to procure ; for although
the rustling noise produced by its stiff pinions when flying may
be frequently heard, the bird itself is seldom to be seen. Its
flight is heavy and unsustained in the extreme ; when first dis-

THE TRUE MEGAPODES. 1 79

turbed it invariably flies to a tree, and on alighting stretches out
its head and neck in a straight line with its body, remain-
ing in this position as stationary and motionless as the branch
upon which it is perched ; if, however, it becomes fairly
alarmed, it takes a horizontal but laborious flight for about
a hundred yards, with its legs hanging down as if broken."

Eggs. — Very large ; in shape, long perfect ovals ; pale coffee-
brown when newly laid, but after remaining in the mound a
few days they become darker. Average measurement, 3-55 by

XI, FREYCINETS MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS FREYCINETI.

Afegapodius freycifief, Quoy and Gaim. Voy. "Uranie," p. 125,

pi. 32 (1824).
Mcgapodius freycinetl, Temm. Pi. Col. v. pi. 45 [No. 220]

(1825?); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 457

(1893)-
Alecthelia urvilii^ Less, and Garn. Bull. Sci. Nat. viii. p. 115

(1826).
Megapodius quoyi^ Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 289, pi. xxxii.

Adult Male and Female. — Genei'al plumage black washed with
grey, except the wings, lower back, and belly, which are
tinged with brown ; feathers on the head extending to the base
of the bill and forming a short full crest. Legs black. Total
length, 15 inches; wing, 87-9; tail, z-Z'Z) tarsus, 27-3.

Range. — The Molucca Islands and Western New Guinea.

XII. THE GEELVINK BAY MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS
GEELVINKIANUS.

Megapodius geelvifikiamis, Meyer, SB. Ak. Wien, Ixix, p. 88
(1874) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 459

(1893)-
Megapodius affifiis^ Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. viii. p. 406
(1876). '

N 2

rSo Allen's naturalist's library.

Adult. — Allied to M. freycincfi, but said to be distinguished
by having the legs cherry-red. Total length, 14 inches ; wing,
^*5~9'5 j tail, 27-3; tarsus, 2-5-2-8. I have not seen an
example of this species.

Range. — Mafoor, Misori, and Jobi Islands in Geelvink Bay,
and Dorey, New Guinea.

Xin. LAYARD's ME3AP0DE. MEGAPODIUS LAYARDL

Megapodiiis brazieri, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 528 [founded o\\

an egg from Banks I.].
Megapodms layai'di^ Tristram. Ibis, 1879, p. 194; Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 459 (1893).
{Plate XXXV.)

Adult Male and Female. — Head and neck with the exception of
the back of the head and nape almost naked ; general plumage
blacky washed with grey, except the wings and rump, which have
an olive tinge ; belly paler than the breast. Y.&gs yellow. Total
length, 17 inches; wing, 9*5 ; tail, 3*5 ; tarsus, 2-9.

Range. — New Hebrides.

Mr. Layard writes: — "The native name is 'Malou.' This bird
is getting very scarce in consequence of the rapid increase of
pigs and tame cats that have taken to the bush. It is a very shy
and wary bird, and is found only on the sides of deep, densely
wooded ravines, where it scratches about among the rocks for
the worms, small helices, and little hard seeds that form its
food. The natives among the New Hebrides group tell me
that in their islands the ' Malou ' deposits its eggs in a hole
scratched under a rotten fallen log in the forest, and then
covers them up with leaves. This account was confirmed by
an intelligent missionary on the island of Sandwich, or Vate.
. . . While staying on Vate I offered a large reward in
beads, tobacco, and tomahawks to any native who would con-
duct me to a nest, so that I could get the eegs out with my
own hinds. Just two days after I had left in the DiysprlngioT

PLATE ^(XX^/.

layard's MEGAPODE.

THE TRUE MF.GAPODES. l8l

the Other islands, a man brought three eggs, fresh laid. He
was told to come back again as soon as the vessel returned ; but
he did not, and I never saw a nest. I travelled to a place on the
eastern side of Vate, where I was told there were still a few of
these birds remaining. ... I stole along carefully, just
stepping from one rock to another, and every few yards stop-
ping behind a tree to listen and reconnoitre. . . . Twice,
I was certain, I heard scratching among the dead leaves, but
could see no birds. I could have had several shots at fowls
run wild, but I was after nobler game. At length, as the bats
v^-ere already flitting around my head, I thought it time to re-
trace my footsteps. I had not gone far, when, with a hoarse
croak, a dark object bounded over the bottom of the water-
course I was walking in. In the gathering darkness I could
only see a black mass, like a stone, among the saplings. How-
ever, as I knew I could not get any nearer, I tried the choke-
bore at it. The smoke hung round so that I could see nothing,
and I heard no fluttering among the leaves ; but when I went
up to the place there lay my flrst ' Malou,' shot through the
head and heart. A little further on I heard the scratching
(sure sign!); but while cautiously peeping round a big tree, an
envious rotten branch caught against my breast, and broke with
a loud snap ; and I just got a glimpse of the ' Malou ' running
like a racehorse over a slight elevation close by. Next day I
was in a ravine so precipitous that I had to get into the summit
of a big tree and climb down that way. I had not gone far when
I heard something that sounded remarkably like a 'Malou.'
As before, I was in the bed of the watercourse. I looked all
about the almost perpendicular sides. There was nothing to be
seen, but the noise still continued; and at last, right in front of
me, on a litti - pebbly bank under a huge rock, I caught sight
of two splendid '. ■ 'us,' slowly retreating, and looking full at
me. They were evia..i...j :'-d birds, in full breeding plumage,
their bare red heads and necks shining grandly in a gleam of
sunshine ; and they carried their absurd little tails stuck straight

1 82 Allen's naturalist's library.

down between their legs. I was delighted at getting such a
good look at so rare a bird, and tried to get both at one shot ;
but I have been ' sold ' too often by being too greedy, so
knocked over the furthest one with a half-charge. The other
one apparently vanished into thin air, as I saw nothing more
of him. About a mile higher up the ravine I was startled by
the hoarse cry of alarm, which appears to be the only sound
these birds emit ; and I could just see the bird's red head as
he stared at me from behind a clump of rocks. I soon had
the pleasure of handling him."

Eggs. — Similar to the eggs of M. 7iicoha7'iensis^ but, as a rule,
rather longer and more pointed ovals. Average measurements,
3'25 by 1*9 inches.

XIV. THE PELEW MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS SENEX.

Megapodius senex, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 830; Finsch;

J. Mus. Godeffr. iv. pt. viii. p. 29, pi. v. figs. 2-3 (1875).
Megapodius laperousii, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 460 (1893) [part. ; Pelew Is.]

Adult. — General colour of plumage greyish-black, washed
with dark olive-brown on the wings and deep reddish-brown
on the rump ; top of the head French grey ; forehead, sides
of the head, and throat similar, but thinly covered with feathers.
Bill and legs yelloiv. Total length, 9*5 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail,
2 '3 ; tarsus, 2.

Eange. — Pelew Islands.

Since writing on these birds in the " Catalogue of Birds,"
Mr. Hartert has shown me a number of M. laperousii from the
Marianne Islands, in the Hon. Walter Rothschild's collection.
As he points out. Dr. Oustalet was evidently wrong in uniting
this species with M. sefiex from the Pelew Islands, as the dif-
ferences between them, though slight, appear to be constant.

Eggs. — Like those of the other species. Measurements, 2*9
by 1-8.

THE TRUE MtGAPODES. 183

XV. THE MARIANNE MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS LAPEROUSII.

Megapodius la Pcrouse, Quoy and Gaimard, A'oy. "Uranie,"

p. 127, pi. ZZ (1824).
Megapodius lapcrousii^ Temm. PI Col. v. livr. 69, p. 3 (1826);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 460 (1893) [part. ;

Marianne Is.].
Megapodius perou sit, Wiglesw. Abh. Mus. Dresd. 1890-91, No.

6, p. 58 (1892).
Adult Male and Female. — May be distinguished from M. seuex
by having the crown much darker grey\ while the posterior band
of feathers above the nape are almost white, and form a marked
contrast with the crown.

Range. — Marianne Islands.

XVI. PRITCHARD's MEGAPODE. MEGAPODIUS PRITCHARDI.

Megapodius stairi and M. burnabyi, Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 290

[founded on eggs].
Megapodius pritchardi, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H. (3) xiv. p. 378

(1864); id. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 41, pi. vi.; Ogilvie-Grant,

Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 461 (1893).
Megapodius huttoni, Buller, Trans. N. Zeal. Inst. iii. p. 114

(1870).
Adult. — Distinguished from all the species previously men-
tioned by having the basal part of the primary and outer
secondary quills ivhite ; the longer upper tail-coverts and tail
mixed with the same colour.* General colour of the rest of
the plumage dull lead-grey, shading into yellowish-grey on the
belly and under tail-coverts, only the wings and back being
rufous-brown ; legs pale red. Total length, 10-5 inches ; wing,
7-4; tail, 2*15; tarsus, 2*1.

Eange. — Ninafou or Hope Island.

Habits.— Captain McLeod, w^ho visited the island of Ninafou,

* The amounl of while appears to vary in individual examples.

184 Allen's naturalist's library.

says that the bird lives in the scrubs in the centre of the island,
about a large lagoon of brackish water, which has the appear-
ance of being an extinct crater ; the birds lay their eggs on
one side only of this lagoon, where the soil is composed ot
sulphur-looking sand ; the eggs are deposited from one to two
feet beneath the surface. The locality frequented by these
birds is, on this island, under the protection of the king or
chief; and by his permission only can the birds or eggs be
procured. The number of eggs deposited in the mounds
varies, as the eggs are laid by different birds in succession ;
but as many as forty eggs are said to have been procured from
one mound.

Mr. F. Hiibner also makes the following observations : —
"The breeding time of this species is not so confined to
certain months as has been noticed by Dr. Wallace in respect
of certain Malayan species. He gives as the season of incu-
bation August and September ; but of this bird I got fresh
eggs in October and November also, and, according to Captain
Nagel and the natives, eggs are to be found likewise in other
months. Immediately after leaving the eggs, the young birds
are not only able to run, but also to fly. The old birds are
excellent runners, but their flight is somewhat heavy, as in the
common fowl; whsn alarmed they perch on trees. The
stomachs of those I shot were mostly filled with land-shells,
small crab^, and scolopendras, but in a few cases I found
seeds. . . . The male may be distinguished at once from
the female by its orange feet, which in the latter are yellow."

Eggs.— Similar to those of the other species already described,
but more than usually pointed ovals, and rather smaller
Average measurements, 2*9 by 1-7 inches.

THE PAINTED MEGAPODES. GENUS EULIPOA.

Enlipoa, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 462 (1893).

Type, E. wallacii (Gray).

Tike MegapodiuSy but the secondary quills are much sJiorler
than the primaries.

THE PAINTED MEGAPODES. 185

Head and neck feathered^ with the exception of a small
space round the eye.

Upper tail-coverts much shorter than the tail-feathers.

First primary flight-feather intermediate in length between
the seventh and eighth, and inuch longer than the tenth.

Only one species is known.

I. Wallace's painted megapode. eulipoa wallacii.

Megapodius wallacii, Gray, P. Z. S. i860, p. 362, pi. clxxi.
Eidipoa 7vallacii, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.
462 (1892).

Adult. — General colour of the upper-parts olive ; short crest
rufous-olive ; inner median wing-coverts, shoulder-feathers,
and middle of the back slate-grey, tinged with olive, and
widely barred with bright chestnut, the former tipped with
pale whitish-grey ; greater secondary-coverts olive, and simi-
larly banded with chestnut ; lower back, rump, and under-parts
dark grey, except the middle of the belly, which is white.
Total length, 14 inches; wings, 7"6-8j tail, 2-6-3*2 ; tarsus,

2*2.

Range. — Islands of Gilolo, Batchian,Ternate, Bourou, Ceram,
and Amboina.

HaMts.— "This species," writes Dr. A. R. Wallace, "differs
somewhat in its habits from the other members of the Family
found in the Malay Islands. It resides generally in the hilly
districts of the interior, like the Maleo {JMegacephalon maleo)^
and, like that species, comes down to the beach to deposit its
eggs ; but instead of scratching a hole for them and covering it
up again, the bird burrows into the sand to a depth of three
or four feet obliquely downwards, and deposits its o^'i.g at the
bottom. It then loosely covers up the mouth of the hole,
and is said by the natives to obliterate and disguise, by
innumerable tracks and scratches, its own footmarks leading
to the hole. Its offspring is then left to make its way into

i86 Allen's naturalist's library.

the world as best it can. This bird lays its eggs only at night,
and the only specimen I obtained here (the Island of Bourou)
was caught on the beach, at the mouth of its burrow, early
one morning. Its wing was broken and wounded at the outer
joint, as if it had been attacked by some small animal when
in its burrow, probably a rat."

The same writer also remarks : " All these birds seem to
be semi-nocturnal, for their loud, wailing cries may be con-
stantly heard late into the night, and long before daybreak in
the morning."

Eggs. — " Rusty-red ; very large for the size of the birds,
being generally 3 or 3)^ inches long by 2 or 2^^ wide." (A.
R. Wallace.)

THE OCELLATED MEGAPODES. GENUS LIPOA.

Leipoa^ Gould, P. Z. S, 1840, p. 126.

Type, Z. ocel/ata, Gould.

Easily distinguished from Megapodius and the other allied
forms by having the longer upper tail-coverts reaching to the
end of the tail.

Feathers of the top of the head forming a short thick crest.

Nostrils elongate ovals.

First primary flight-feather intermediate in length between
the ninth and tenth ; fifth slightly the longest.

Toil long and rounded, composed of sixteen feathers.

Legs (metatarsi) and toes rather short; the former with a
double row of large hexagonal plates down the front.

Only one species is known.

I. THE OCELLATED MEGAPODE. LIPOA OCELLATA.

Leipoa ocellata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 126; id. B. Austr. v.
pt. I, pi. 78 (1840); North, Nests and Eggs Austr. B.
p. 281 (1889).

THE OCl£LLATEt> MECiAPODES. 1 87

Lipoa ocellata, Ogilvic Grant, Cat. 13. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 463

(1893)-

Adult Male and Female. — Top of the head dark brown, the
feathers forming a thick, pointed crest ; mantle mostly grey ;
back, shoulder-feathers, and wing-coverts grey, widely banded
with brownish-black and white ; inner secondary quills very
similar ; forehead and eyebrow-stripes greyish ; cheeks and
throat rust colour ; upper breast grey, with a band of black and
white feathers down the middle ; rest of under-parts whitish,
barred with black on the sides. Total length, 24 inches; wing,
12-5 ; tail, 9 ; tarsus, 3*1.

Range.— South and West Australia.

Habits. — Mr. Gilbert gives the following account of this hand-
some bird's habits : — " This morning I had the good fortune
to penetrate into the dense thicket I had been so long anxious
to visit in search of the Leipoa's eggs, and had not proceeded
far before the native who was with me told me to keep a good
look-out, as we were among the Ngou-od's hillocks ; and in half
an hour after we found one, around which the brush was so
thick that we were almost running over it before seeing it.
, . . He began scraping off the earth very carefully from
the centre, throwing it over the side, so that the mound very
soon presented the appearance of a huge basin ; about two feet
in depth of earth was in this way thrown off, when the large
ends of two eggs met my anxious gaze ; both these eggs were
resting on their smaller apex, and the earth round them had
to be very carefully removed to avoid breaking the shell, which
is extremely fragile when first exposed to the atmosphere.
About a hundred yards from this first mound we came upon a
second, rather larger, of the same external form and appear-
ance ; it contained three eggs. Although we saw seven or
eight more mounds, only these two contained eggs ; we were
too early ; a wxek later, and we should doubtless have found
many more. ... In both the nests with eggs the White
Ant was very numerous, making its little covered galleries of

i88 Allen's naturalist's library.

earth around and attached to the shell, thus showing a beau-
tiful provision of Nature in preparing the necessary tender food
for the young bird on its emergence ; one of the eggs I have
preserved shows the White Ants' tracks most plainly. The
largest mound I saw, which appeared as if in a state of pre-
paration for eggs, measured forty-five feet in circumference, and
if rounded in proportion on the top, would have been full five
feet in height. I remarked that, in all the mounds not ready
for the reception of eggs, the inside or vegetable portion was
always wet and cold, and I imagine, from the state of others,
that the bird turns out the whole of the materials to dry before
depositing its eggs and covering them up with the soil. In both
cases where I found eggs, the upper part of the mound was
perfectly and smoothly rounded over, so that anyone passing
it without knowing the singular habit of the bird might very
readily suppose it to be an ant-hill; mounds in this state
always contain eggs within, while those without eggs are not
only not rounded over, but have the centres so scooped out
that they form a hollow. The eggs are deposited in a very
different manner from those of the Megapodius ; instead of each
being placed in a separate excavation in different parts of the
mound, they are laid directly in the centre, all at the same
depth, separated only by about three inches of earth, and so
placed as to form a circle."

Eggs. — When fresh, of a delicate pinky-white, but after re-
maining in the mound a few days, they become dirty reddish-
brown. Shell very thin. Average measurements, 3-5 by 2-3
inches.

THE BRUSII-TURKEYS. GENUS TALEGALLUS.

Talegalliis, Lesson, Voy. " Coquille," i. pt. ii. p. 715 (1828).

Type, T. cuvieri^ Less.

Upper tail-coverts black, and not extending to the end of the
tail.

Top of the head ccvered with nanoiv (sometimes hair-like)

TIIK nRUSH-TURKKVS.

09

fcnlhcrs; sides of the head, lliroat, and forepart (jf the neck
mostly naked. No wattle at the base of the neck.

Bill stout atid stro?ig.

Nostrils 07'al.

Tail rather long, rounded, and composed of sixteen feathers,
the middle pair being the longest.

First primary flight-feather skorte?- than the tenth ; fifth and
sixth slightly the longest.

Legs (metatarsi) and feet large ; the fore-part of the legs
covered with a single row of large scales.

Claws shorter, and more 7V7inded than in Megapoditis and
Eiilipoa, the claw of the middle toe being shorter than the
upper mandible, measured from the posterior wall of the nos-
tril to the tip.

I. cuvier's brush-turkey, talegallus cuvieri.

Talegallus cuvieri., Lesson, Voy. " Coquille," Zool. Atl. pi. 38
(1826) ; id. Voy. "Coquille," Zool. i. pt. ii. p. 716 (1828) ;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 465 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour black ; head and back
of the neck thinly covered with narroiv, almost hair-like, feathers,
which are recumbent on the crown ; throat sparsely covered with
brownish-white feathers. Bill orange-red {yellow in dried speci-
mens) ; naked skin on the sides of the head, and neck reddish-
brown ; legs and feet orange or yellow. Total length, 20-21
inches; wing, 10*8; tail, 6-2,', tarsus, 3*3-3*5.

Younger examples have the back and sides of the neck mostly
dark chestnut.

Range. — Western New Guinea, and the Islands of Salawatli,
Mysol, and Halmahera.

Habits. — Von Rosenberg states that this species is not to be
met with on the mountains, its place there being taken by
Aepypodius arfakianus. Nothing further has been published
regarding its habits.

IQO ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

II. THE DARK-BILLED BRUSH-TURKEY. TALEGALLUS FUSCI-
ROSTRIS.

TalegaUus fuscirosti'is, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. ix. pp.
332, 334 (1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 466 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Like T. cuvieri^ but tlie bill is sooty-
brown instead of orange-red, and the naked skin on the sides
of the head and neck is blackish-gre}\ not reddish-hroytn. Total
length, 21 inches; wing, 11-11-5; tail, 6*8-7; tarsus, 3*5-
37-

Range. — Southern New Guinea, extending north-eastwards
to Geelvink Bay, and south to the Aru Islands.

Hal)its. — To Von Rosenberg we owe the only account we
have been able to find of the habits of this bird. He says : —
" The * Kamur ' is not really rarer than the ' Djangul ' {Mega-
podius duperrej'i), but is not met with so frequently, owing to
its solitary forest-haunting habits. Near Wonumbai I found a
new nesting-mound of this bird situated in a ' radura,' and
protected by the shade of a Titie ( Vitex moluccana). It was
composed of earth mixed with sticks and leaves, the whole
forming a truncate cone 11 feet high and 25 feet round the
base. In the summit of the cone we found the openings of five
burrows which went down perpendicularly to a depth of four
feet, and were filled with earth. In four of these I found eggs
which were placed vertically. As they were broken by the
man who carried them, I was able to ascertain that they were
in various stages of development, and I was thus able to verify
the statement previously made to me by the natives, who affirm
that the eggs are laid at intervals of one or more days. In the
mound the thermometer rose to 93° Fahr., while the surround-
ing atmosphere was only 85° in the shade. A few days later
I found a second nesting-mound which, though it appeared to
have been abandoned for a long time, was much larger than
the first, and I was assured by my native guide that it was the

THE P.RU.SH-TURKEYS. I9I

work of tlie female parent. The eggs are as large as those oi
the ' Oca,' and oblong in form ; they have a hard white shell
covered with a layer of reddish-brown, and are good to eat."

Eggs. — Elliptical ovals ; vinaceous cinnamon in colour. Ave-
rage measurements, 3*88 by 2*4 inches. {A. B. Meyer.)

III. THE JOBI ISLAND BRUSH-TURKEY. TALEGALLUS

JOBIENSIS.

Tale^alhis johiensis^ Meyer, SB. Ak. Wien. Ixix. Abth. i. pp.
74, 87 (1874); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

467 (1893)-

Adult. — Plumage black as in the other species, but easily
recognised by the setni-erect crest composed of wider and
thicker feathers, which cover the top of the head. Bill and
naked skin of the head dusky-red, sides of the throat blood-
red, legs and feet fiery-red. " Total length, 21 '5 inches ; wing,
1 1 -8; tail, 6'6; tarsus, 3'6." {Salvadori.)

In a nearly adult specimen in the British Museum the tail
measures 7*3 inches. This bird was obtained by Hunstein in
South-eastern New Guinea, opposite China Straits.

Range. — Jobi Island and the Eastern shore of Geelvink Bay ;
also South-east New Guinea.

Eggs. — Reddish-fawn colour ; rather pointed ; shell smooth.
Measurements, 3"8-3-93 by 2'4i-2'46 inches. {A. B. Meyer.)

IV. THE LONG-TAILED BRUSH-TURKEY. TALEGALLUS

LONGICAUDUS.

Tallegallus lo7igicaudus^ Meyer, Abh. Mus. Dresd. 1890-91,

No. 4, p. 15 (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.

xxii. p. 467 (1893).

Said by Dr. Meyer to differ from T.jobiensis in being darker

in colour, and in having a longer tail and shorter tarsus.

Total length, 23*2 inches; wing, 1V2; tail, 8; tarsus, 3.

It seems doubtful if this bird is really distinct from T,
johiensis.

Range. — Astrolabe Bay, North-east New Guinea.

1 92 Allen's naturalist's library.

THE WATTLED BRUSH-TURKEYS. GENUS CATHETURUS.

Cai/ief lints, Swains. Class. B. ii. p. 206 (1837).
Type, C. lathnmi (Lath.).

Differs from TakgaUus in having the head as well as the
neck almost naked, with only a few hair-like feathers ; and a
livge vascular ivattle at the base of the ?teck.

Nostrils 7-ound.

Tail composed of eighteen feathers, the fifth pair being con-
siderably longer than the middle pair and much longer than
the outer pair.

The fore part of the legs (metatarsi) covered with a double
roiv of hexago?ial plates.

I. THE AUSTRALIAN BRUSH-TURKEY. CATHETURUS LATH AMI.

Aledura lathami, Latham, Gen. Hist. B. x. p. 455 (1824);

Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. iii. pi. 140.
Aleleagris iindesayii, Jameson, Mem. Wernerian, Nat. Hist.

Soc. vii. p. 473 (1835).
Catheturus australis, Swainson, Class. B. i. p. 284, fig. 92

(1836); ii. p. 206 (1837).
Talegalla lathami, Gould, B. Austr. v. pi. 77 (1840); Sclater

in Wolfs Zool. Sketches, ii. pi. xl. (1861); North, Nests

and Eggs Austr. B. p. 279 (1889).
Catheturus lathami, Reichenb. Tauben. p. 10, pi. 277, fig.

1540(1862); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

468 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour of upper parts dark
brownish-black, lighter on the lower back and rump ; under-
parts dark brownish-grey, more or less conspicuously edged
with white ; in some examples the belly and thighs are nearly
while. Naked skin of head and neck pinkish-red, the \vattle
bright yellow; bill black; legs brown. Total length, 25*5
inches; wing, 12; tail, 9-8-io-2 ; tarsus, 4-4*2.

THE WATTI.F.D ERUSII-TURKKVS. I93

Range. — North-enst and East Australia.

Habits. — I )r. Ramsay writes : — "However plentiful thisspecies
may have been formerly in the Rockingham Bay district, it is
now very scarce, only one having been obtained during my
visit. They are still plentiful in the New South Wales scrubs.
I found that two or more females visited the same mound to
lay their eggs in, and when this is the case, the mound is
often twice as large as usual. It seems probable that
several individuals assist in scratching the mound together,
when a space often fifty yards in diameter (on level ground) is
cleared of almost every fallen leaf and twig. The mounds are
often six feet in height, and twelve to fourteen yards wide at
the base : sometimes they are more conical. The central por-
tion consists of decayed leaves mixed with fine debris, the
next of coarser and less rotten materials ; and the outside is a
mass of recently gathered leaves, sticks, and twigs not showing
signs of decay. In opening the nest these are easily removed
and must be carefully pushed backwards over the sides, begin-
ning at the top. Having cleared these, and obtained plenty of
room, remove the semi-decayed strata, and below it, where the
fermentation has begun, in a mass of light fine leaf-mould, will
be found the eggs placed with the iJiin end doivrnvards, often
in a circle, with three or four in the centre, about six inches
apart. At one side, where the eggs have been first laid, they
will probably be found more or less incubated, but in the centre,
where the eggs are placed last, quite fresh ; and if only one
pair of birds have laid in the mound, about twelve to eighteen
eggs will be the complement, and will be found arranged as
described above. On the other hand, if several females resort
to the same nest the regularity will be greatly interfered with,
and two or three eggs in different stages of development will
be found close to one another, some quite fresh, others within
a few days of being hatched. There are usually ten eggs in
the first layer, five or six in the second, three or four only in
the centre. I found that the females returned every second
12 o

194 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

day to lay, but never succeeded in ascertaining which of the
parent birds opens the nest. The aborigines inform me that
the male bird always performs this office ; and I usually found
my black boys very correct in their statements of this kind.
After robbing a nest, it is necessary to replace the different
layers as they were found ; for if the lowest is too much mixed
up with the others, or the top tumbled into the excavations
made in the bottom one, the birds will invariably forsake the
mound ; so that I found it always necessary to carefully re-
place the different layers as I found them. It is not so with
the Megapodius duper7'eyi^ which species does not seem to care
how much the mound is tumbled about, so that there is suffi-
cient debris left to burrow in. . . . The greatest number
of eggs taken from one mound at one time was thirty-six.
This was a very old mound, and resorted to by several indi-
viduals."

Mr. Gould observes : — "When disturbed, the Wattled Tale-
gallus readily eludes pursuit by the facility with which it runs
through the tangled brush. If hard pressed, or when rushed upon
by its great enemy the native dog, it springs upon the lowermost
bough of some neighbouring tree, and by a succession of leaps
from branch to branch ascends to the top, and either perches
there or flies off to another part of the brush. It is also in the
habit of resorting to the branches of trees as a shelter from the
mid-day sun — a peculiarity that greatly tends to their destruc-
tion ; for, like the Ruffed Grouse of America, when assembled
in small companies they will allow a succession of shots to be
fired until they are all brought down. . . .

"While stalking about the woods the Talegallus frequently
utters a rather loud clucking noise ; but whether this sound is
uttered by the female only I could not ascertain ; still I think
such is the case, and that the spiteful male, who appears to de-
light in expanding his richly-coloured fleshy wattles and un-
mercifully thrashing his helpmate, is generally mute.

" In various parts of the brush I observed depressions in

THE PAPUAN WATTLED HRUSH-TURKEYS. 1 95

the earth, which the natives informed me were made by the
birds in dusting themselves."

Eggs. — Pure white, varying much in shape and size, some being
ahnost round, others a long oval or pointed at the smaller end ;
their usual form is an oval, slightly smaller at one end. Shell
thin, smooth, and minutely granulated. Average measurements,
3-55 by 2'4 inches.

THE PAPUAN WATTLED BRUSII-TURKEVS. CxENUS
AEPVPODIUS.

Aepypodius, Oustalet, Le Nat. No. 41, p. 323 (1880).

Type, A. hruijni, Oustalet.

Upper tail-coverts short and dark chestmit.

Head and neck mostly naked ; a pendulous waffle at the
base of the fore-neck (in one species an additional wattle on
each side of the neck) ; and an elevated y?^j-/^j/ cresf extending
from the base of the bill to the crown.

Nostrils rou?id.

Tail composed of six fee??, feathers and similar in shape to
that of Cafhefurus.

First primary flight-feather about equal to the tenth ; seventh
or eighth slightly the longest.

Front of legs (metatarsi) covered with a single row of large
scales, the last two or three being divided down the middle.

I. THE WAIGIOU WATTLED BRUSH-TURKEY. AEPVPODIUS
BRUIJNL

Talegallus bruiJ7iii, Oustalet, C. R. xc. p. 906 (1880).
Aepypodius bruijnii, Oustalet, Le Nat. No. 41, p. 323 (1880) ;

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 470 (1893).
Talegallus {Aepypodius') hruijnii, Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat. xi
P- 3<S figs. Z7i [adult], 34 [juv.] (1881).
Adult.— General colour above brownish-black, browner on
the lower back, and dark chestnut on the upper tail-coverts ;

o 2

196 ATLF.NS NATURATJST'S LIP.RARY.

chest and upper breast mostly chestnut; rest of under-parts
mosdy dirty grey. In addition to the fleshy crest, the top
of the head is entirely covered with close- set horny papilli.
In addition to the wattle at the base of the fore-neck, there
are a pair of elongate wattles, one on each side of the nape.
Naked skin and wattles apparently red or orange. Total
length, 19 inches; wing, ir5-i2-4; tail, 57-6-4; tarsus
3-8-4-2.

Range. — Island of Waigiou.

II. THE NE\V GUINEA WATTLED BRUSH-TURKEY. AEPYPODIUS
ARFAKIANUS.

Tak.gallus aifakinnus, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. ix. pp.

333, 334 (1877).
Takgallus pyrrhopygius, Schl. Notes Leyd. Mus. i. p. 159

\1879).
Takgalhis {Aepypodiits) pyrrhopygius, Oustalet, kww. Sci. Nat.

xi. p. 40, fig. 35 (188 1 ).
Aepypodius aifakiamis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. xviii.

p. 8 (1882); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

470(1893).
Adult. — May be easily recognised by the following char-
acters : — the 1)ack of the head and nape thickly cove?'ed with
black feathers ; the top of the head devoid of papilli ; the
lateral wattles, so conspicuous in A. bruijni, absent, and the
chesi bro2viiish-t)lack. Total length, 17-5 inches; wing, 10-5 ;
tail, 5-5 ; tarsus, 2^-6.

Eange. — South-east New Guinea to the "West coast of Geel-
vink Bay.

HaMts. — Nothing has been recorded, but they probably re-
semble the Brush-Turkeys {Talegalhis) in their mode of life.
A nesting-mound found by Beccari in the Arfak Mountains
at an altitude of 6,000 feet, was probably the work of this
species.

■ . -*■ 1

V i

,lV*

t

^

THE MALEOS. 1 97

THE MALEOS. GENUS MEGACEPIIALON.
I,Iegau'phalo/i, Temm.; Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 489 (1846).
Type, AI. inaleo^ Haiti.
Upper tail-coverts viuch shorter than the tail-fealhers.
Head naked, covered by a large gourd-shaped helmet; a
rounded tubercle behind each nostril ; neck and throat thickly
covered with hair-like feathers.

Nostril a rather large roimded oval.

Tail composed of eighteen feathers and shaped as in Cathe-
turus and Aepypodius.
Wing as in Aepypodius.

Legs (metatarsi) and feet rather long, the former covered
in front with small hexagonal scales.
Only one species is known.

I. THE MALEO. MEGACEPHALON MALEO.

Maleo, Temm. PL Col. V., in text to PI. 46 [No. 411] (1826).

Megacephalon maleo, Hartl. Verzeichniss, p. loi (1844);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 472 (1893).

{Plate XXX VI.)

Adult Male and Female. — Helmet black ; naked skin round eye
yellowish flesh-colour ; upper-parts, chest, flanks, thighs, and
under tail-coverts dark brown ; breast and belly beautiful
salmon-pink ; legs bluish-black ; toes yellowish. Total length,
22 inches; wing, ii-ii-8; tail, 57-6; tarsus, 3-5.

In quite young examples the helmet is absent and the
crown covered with mottled brown and white feathers.

Range. — Celebes and the Sanghir Islands.

Habits. — Dr. A. R. Wallace writes : — "This interesting bird
is confined, so far as I am aware, to the Norihern Peninsula of
Celebes, and to the littoral portions of the island, never being
found in the mountain ranges or in the elevated district of
Tondano. It seems particularly to abound in the forests

198 Allen's naturalist's library.

around the base of the Klabat mountain, feeding entirely on
fallen fruits, which in the crop resemble the cotyledons of
leguminous seeds. In the months of August and September,
when there is little or no rain, they descend to the sea-beach
to deposit their eggs. They choose for this purpose certain
bays remote from human habitations. One of these serves
for an extensive tract of country, and to it the birds repair
daily by scores and hundreds. I visited the most celebrated
of these beaches, but, it being late in the season, did not see so
much of the birds as I might otherwise have done. I made,
however, some interesting observations, and obtained a very
fine series of specimens during my stay of six days.

" The place is situated in a bay between the island of Limbe
and Banca, and consists of a steep beach about a mile in
length, of very deep, loose, and coarse black volcanic sand
or rather gravel, exceedingly fatiguing to walk over. It is
bounded at each extremity by a small river with hilly ground
beyond, while the forest behind the beach itself is somewhat
flat and its growth stunted, so that it has quite the appearance
of being formed from the debris of an ancient lava-stream from
the Klabat Volcano, especially as beyond the two rivers the
beaches are of ivhite sand. In the mass of loose sand thrown
up above high-water mark are seen numbers of holes four or
five feet in diameter. In and around these holes, at the depth
of one or two feet, the eggs of the IMaleos are found. There
are sometimes only one or two, sometimes as many as seven or
eight in one hole, but placed each at a distance of six to eight
inches from the others, and each egg laid by a separate bird.
They come down to the beach, a distance often of ten or
fifteen miles, in pairs, and, choosing either a fresh place or an
old hole, scratch alternately, throwing up a complete fountain
of sand during the operation, which I had the pleasure ot
observing several times. When a sufficient depth is reached,
the female deposits an egg and covers it up with sand, after
which the pair return to the forest. At the end of thirteen

tHE MaLEOS. i(^(^

days (the natives assert) the same pair return, and another
egg is deposited. This statement seems to have been handed
down by tradition, having perhaps originated from the ob-
servation of some wounded or singularly marked bird. I am
inclined to think it is near the truth, because in the females I
killed before they had laid, the egg completely filled up the
lower cavity of the body, squeezing the intestines so that it
seemed impossible for anything to pass through them, while
the ovary contained eight or ten eggs about the size of small
peas, which must evidently have required somewhere about
the time named for their development. . . . The eggs
when quite fresh are delicious eating, as delicate as a fowl's
egg, but much richer, and the natives come for more than fifty
miles round to search for them. After the eggs are once de-
posited in the sand the parent birds pay no further attention
to them. The young birds on breaking the shell work their
way up through the sand and run off to the forest.

" The appearance of the birds when walking on the beach is
very handsome. The glossy black and rosy-white of the plu-
mage, the helmeted head and the elevated tail, roofed like
that of the common hen, form a foid ensemble quite unique,
which their stately and somewhat sedate walk renders still more
remarkable. When approached they run pretty quickly, and
if suddenly disturbed, take flight to the lower branches of
some adjacent tree. There is hardly any difference between
the sexes.

"When we consider the great distances the birds come, and
the trouble they take to place the eggs in a proper situation, it
does seem extraordinary that they should take no further care
about them. It is, however, quite certain that they neither do
nor can watch over them. The eggs deposited by a number
of hens in succession in the same hole must render it impos-
sible for each to distinguish its own ; and the food of the parent
birds can be obtained only by continual roaming, so that if the
numbers which come down to the beach alone in the breedin^r

2 00 Allen's naturalist's library.

season (according to the accounts, many hundreds, or even
thousands) were obliged to remain in the vicinity, the greater
part would perish of hunger.

"In the structure of the feet of the Megacephalon we may see
a reason why it departs from the habits of its nearest allies, the
Megapodii and Talegalli, which generally heap up mounds of
earth and rubbish in which to bury their eggs. The feet of
the Maleos are not nearly so strong in proportion as those of
the former birds, while the claws are short and straight, instead
of being very long and greatly curved."

Eggs. — Pale brownish-red. Measurements, 4*3 by 2*4
inches.

THE CURASSOWS. FAMILY CRACID.'E.

As in the MegapodiidcE, the hind-toe or hallux is on the same
level as the other toes, and its basal phalanx is as long as that
of the third toe.

They differ from the Megapodes in having the oil-gland
tufted.

The nest is made either in a tree or on the ground, and the
eggs, which are white, are incubated in the usual manner.
THE TRUE CURASSOWS. GENUS CRAX.
Ovz.v, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 269 (1766).
Type, C. aledor (L.).

Bill stout, the depth of the upper mandible being greater
than the width.

Feathers on the top of the head senii-ered and cinied at the
extremity.

With or without a swollen knob at the base of the upper
mandible.

Wattles at the base of the lower mandible present or absent.

Tail composed of tivelve feathers.

In this genus the females differ one from another in plumage
'^2.1 more than the males, all of which are very similar in plumage.

THE CURASSOWS. 20I

I. THE CRESTED CURASSOW. CRAX ALECTOR.

Crax alec/or, Linn. S. N. i. p. 269 (1/65) ; Sclater, Trans. Z. S.-
ix. p. 277, pi. xliii. (1875); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. I2rit.
Mus. xxii. p. 475 (1893).
Crax mitre {jiec L.), Vieillot, Gal. Ois. ii. pi. 199 (1825).
Crax s/oafiei, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 131 (1862).
Crax erythro^natha, Sclater and Salvin, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 22 ;
Sclater, Trans. Z. S. x. p. 543, pi. xc. (1879).

Adult Male.— General colour black, glassed with purple, except
the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts, which are white; crest
uniform black; tail not tipped Avilh white ; no swollen knob at
the base of the upper mandible nor wattles on the sides of the
lower ; cere and base of bill yellow, the tip horny blue. Total
length, 34 inches ; wing, 15 ; tail, 13 ; tarsus, 4*5.

Adult Female. — Like the male, but the feathers of the crest
with a few white bars. Rather smaller; wing, 14 inches.

Eange. — Northern South America. Rio Negro, Rio Branco,
Rio Vaupe, British Guiana, and the United States of Colombia.

Habits. — According to Sonnini this species is very numerous
in French Guiana and met with in large flocks in the vast forests
which cover the greater part of that country. He found it of a
remarkably tame and confiding disposition, and by no means
afraid of his presence, but in the more inhabited parts it was
much wilder. It appears to nest during the rainy season,
which in Guiana lasts for seven or eight months.

The "Mituporanga" generally keeps to the mountain forests,
perching on the high trees; and passes much of its time on the
ground searching for fruits, which form its chief diet. Tame
examples of this species are frequently to be seen in the streets
of the town of Cayenne, and may be observed entering all the
houses in the most fearless manner, and searching beneath the
tables for food.

Mr. C. B. Brown met with large numbers of this species
along the banks of the River Corentyne, and was able to

202 Allen's naturalist's librarv.

shoot as many as he required for food as his boat was passing
along.

Nests. — Placed in a tree ; composed of sticks, and coarsely
lined with dry grass and leaves.

Eggs. — Pure white ; two to six in number.

n. sclater's curassow. crax fasciolata.

Crux fasciohifa, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 48, pi. Ixii. a (1825);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 476 (1893).
Crax sda/eri, Gray, List Gallinae Brit. Mus p. 14 (1867)
[part].

Adult Male. — Like the male of C. alector^ but the plumage is
black, glossed with dark green, and the tips of the tail-feathers
are ivhite. Total length, 3o'5 inches; wing, 14*3; tail, i3'6;
tarsus, 4.

Adult Female. — Crest white, with the base and tip of each
feather black ; upper-parts and tail black, with narrow white
cross-bars^ widest on the wings;* outer primary quills black,
barred with ivhite; chest, and sometimes the sides of breast,
buff, barred with black ; thighs and rest of under-parts pale
rufous-buff. Smaller than the male. Wing, 13-2 inches.

Range. — Forests of Eastern South America, extending north
to Para, south to Paraguay, and thence east to Bolivia.

III. natterer's curassow. crax pinima.

Crax pinima, Natterer, MSS. ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 287, 341
(1870); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 477

(1893).
Crax incommoda, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 690; id. Trans.
Z. S. ix. p. 281, pi. xlix. (1875); ^- P- 544j P^- ^^^"•
(1879).
Adult Male. — At present unknown.

* These white bars appear to decrease with age ; in one of the examples
examined they have entirely disappeared on the tail.

THE CURASSOWS. 203

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of C . fasciolata in
having the tail-feathers uniform black (the middle pair only
being irregularly marked with white in a younger example) ;
the thighs, as well as the breast and sides, black, barred with
pale buff; and, in the adult, at least, the crest is black, nar-
rowly barred with white. Total length, 34*5 inches; wing,
15-2 ; tail, 13 5; tarsus, 4-1.

Range. — South America. District of Para, perhaps to the
United States of Colomb'a.

IV. THE MEXICAN CURASSOW. CRAX GLOBICERA.

Crax globicera, Linn. S. N. i. p. 270 (1766); Sclater, Trans.

Z. S. ix. p. 274, pi. xl. (1875) [part]; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.

B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 478 (1893).
Crax rubra, Linn. S. N. i. p. 270 (1766).
Crax temmi7ickii, Tschudi, Faun. Per. p. 287 (1844-46).
Crax pseudalectcr, Reichenb.Tauben, p. 131, pi. 174, fig 15-16,

and C edwardsi, p. 134 (1862).
Adult Male. — Black, glossed with dark green, except the
middle of the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts, which are
white ; a sivollen yelloiv hwb at the base of the upper bill.
Total length, 35 inches ; wing, 157 ; tail, 14 ; tarsus, 4-6.

Adult Female. — Crest feathers widely barred ivith white across
the middle ; rest of head, neck, and throat barred with black
and white ; mantle and chest black, washed or margined with
rufous, and glossed with green ; lower back mostly deep
brownish-chestnut ; quills and wing-coverts chestnut, mottled
with black ; breast deep chestnut, shading into cinnamon on
the rest of the under-parts ; tail black, the median feathers
generally mottled with chestnut, and with traces of irregular
yellowish-white bars. Size smaller; wing, 14 inches.

Range. — Central America, extending from Western Mexico
to Honduras and Cozumel Island.

204 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Habits. — Mr. G. F. Gaumer, writing from Yucatan, says : —
"This is a very shy bird, living far in the interior of unin-
habited forests. Its walk is cautious and almost noiseless ; it
is generally found in pairs, though the males often travel alone.
It spends most of its time upon the ground, where it finds its
food by scratching among the leaves. In the morning and
evening it mounts upon the trees which bear its favourite food,
to feast upon the best fruits of the forest. It ascends not by
a single flight, but by short flights from limb to limb, until it
reaches the fruit. While there it makes no noise, but at every
moment it listens for the approach of an enemy, which once
discovered, it utters a short, impatient cluck, and flies away to
a very great distance. The song resembles the deep distant
bass roaring of the tiger, or the gentle blowing in the bung-
hole of a barrel. The flesh of this bird is highly valued as
food, but the bones are always carefully kept away from the
dogs and cats, as they are said to be very poisonous. It is
sometimes domesticated, though it rarely lives beyond a few
months."

Mr. Charles W. Richmond says : — " This bird is rather
common. Observed on the Rio Frio, and on the Escondido.
It is often kept in captivity. A fine male on the Magnolia
plantation was very tame, and answered to the name of
"Touie." One of Touie's peculiarities was an abhorrence of
women. The moment a dress appeared on the plantation
he began to show great distress, uttering his low, plaintive
whistle, and running after the object of his wrath, with body
leaning forward and almost brushing the ground, head thrown
back, and tail raised, giving him a laughable appearance.
After picking at the offending dress, and following its wearer
about for a time, Touie would quiet down for a bit, but would
continue to sulk and utter his note of complaint until the
cause of the trouble had departed. This bird raised its crest
when excited, or when its curiosity was aroused, but on other
occasions kept it depressed."

THE CURASSOWS. 205

V. THE TANAMA CURASSOW. CRAX PANAMENSIS.

Crnx globicera, Sclater (nee Linn.), Trans. Z. S. x. p. 543, pi.

Ixxxix. (1879).
Crax riibra^ Stephen (nee Linn.), in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p.

168, pi. ix. (1819).
Crax alberti, Fraser, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 246, pis. xxvii. ajid

xxviii. [part, female].
Crax panajueiisis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Erit. Mus. xxii. p.

479 (1893).
Adult Male. — Like the male of C. globicera^ but the tail-
feathers are slightly margined with white. The colours of the
soft parts may also differ, but they are at present unknown.
Total length, 34*5 inches; wing, 14*6; tail, i3'3 ; tarsus, 4*2
inches.

Adult Female. — Easily distinguished from the female of C.
^/obicera by having the tail stro7igly barred with zvhite or pale
buff, the bars being as clearly marked on the u?ider-su7-face of
the feathers as on the upper. Size smaller; wing, 14-4 inches.

Range. — Southern Nicaragua and Costa Rica, extending to
the United States of Colombia.

Habits. — Dr. Von Frantzius writes : '^ This beautiful Hocko
is called in Costa Rica ' Pajuil,' which is a corruption of
the Mexican word ' Pauxi.'

" I saw it in a wild state for the first time on the Sarapiqui
in December, 1853. I have often seen tame specimens since
in the aviaries of the chief town of San Jose. The young can
be easily tamed if caught and reared. This bird is often shot
on account of its savoury flesh."

VI. heck's CURASSOW. CRAX HECKI.

Crax hciki, Reichenow, J. f. O. 1894, p. 231, pi. ii.
Adult Female.— Head and ?ieck black, barred with white; crest-
feathers black, with two or three white bands ; back, chest,
wing-coverts, and secondary quills barred with buff and

2o6 alt.en's naturalist's library.

rufous, the rufous bars being margined with black ; primaries
barred with buff and dusky ; belly fawn-colour, the breast in-
distinctly barred with rufous ; tail-feathers black, with narrow
buff bands. Wing, i6 inches; tail, 14; tarsus, 4. {Reichenoiv.)

Range. — Unknown.

This species, recently described by Dr. Reichenow from a
female specimen, appears to belong to a form intermediate be-
tween C. panamensis and C. grayi. It seems to resemble the
latter in having the back barred, but differs from both in
having the neck banded with black and white. Dr. Reichenow
says that during the two years this bird lived in the Zoological
Gardens at Berlin, the plumage underwent marked changes,
the white bars becoming more pronounced with age.

VII. gray's curassow. crax grayi.
Crax grayi, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 480

(1893).

{Plate XXX VII.)

Adult Male. — Unknown.

Adult Female. — Easily distinguished from the female of C.
fasciolata and those previously described by having the
primary and secondary quills, as well as the tail-feathers,
widely barred with black and white, the white bars being about
as wnde as the black interspaces ; the lower back, rump,
and upper tail-coverts taw^ny buff, indistinctly barred with
black. Total length, 32 inches; wing, 13-6; tail, 127;
tarsus, 3'8.

Range. — South America. The exact locality is as yet un-
known.

VIIT. THE WATTLED CURASSOW. CRAX CARNUCULATA.

Crax cariiuculata, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 44, 690 (1815) ;

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 481 (1893).
Crax rnbrirosfris, Spix. Av. Bras. ii. p. 51, pi. Ixvii. (1825).
Crax yarrellii, Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn. n. s. pl. vi. (1836).

PLATE JXXKVII

GRAYS CURASSOW.

THE CURNSfiOVVF;. SJO*/

Crax bluinc72hachii^ Ikirmeister, Syst. Uebers. iii. p. 345
(1856).

Adult Male. — riiimagc like that of C. gIol>icera, the tail itot
tipped with white ; the large swollen knob at the base of the
upper mandible and the wattle on each side of the base of
the lower mandible scarlet. Total length, 32 inches; wing,
14*8; tail, 13-5 ; tarsus, 4.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the feathers
of the crest indistinctly barred with white; the belly, flanks, and
under tail-coverts rufous-huff ; the swollen knob and wattles
absent ; and the basal half of the bill scarlet. Size rather
smaller, wing, i4"2.

Range. — South-eastern Brazil, extending from Rio de Janeiro
to Bahia.

Hatits. — From Prince Maximilian of Neuwicd's work we
translate the following interesting account of this bird's habits.

"The ' Mutung' is a beautiful large bird which is only to be
met with where it can find a safe home in secluded parts of the
forest. I have often found it in such places, living in pairs,
even out of the pairing season. I have not come across it
farther south than the rivers Itapemirim and Itabapuana, but it
is often found on the Rio Doce, Mucuri, Alcobaca, Belmonte,
and is everywhere a very favourite game bird. It replaces in
those forests our European Capercailzies. In the pairing time,
especially in November, December, and January, the far-reach-
ing cry of the cock is heard far and wide calling the hens round
him. He then, it is said, spreads his tail, makes all kinds of
movements with his wings, and calls in a deep tone hu ! hu !
hu ! hu ! which can be heard a long way off. These birds
live much on the ground, and are therefore often caught in
snares. They feed on fruits, for I have found hard fruits and
nuts in their crops, both partly and entirely digested, and which
were sometimes so hard that one could not cut them with a
knife. I did not find stones, though the birds must un-
doubtedly swallow them. . . .

2o8 Allen's naturallsts lidrary.

'''These beautiful birds are eagerly hunted by the Brazilians,
especially at the season when their loud deep voice is heard,
when it is not difficult to surprise them, as in sparsely inhabited
districts they are by no means shy. Their flesh is excellent,
and the large strong feathers of the wings and tail are used by
the savages for their arrows. The Mutung would be very use-
ful, if domesticated, as it is easily tamed. The inhabitants of
some districts are well aware of this fact, for tame birds may
often be met with amongst them. The Portuguese are not fond
of keeping them in captivity, as they swallow anything bright or
glittering, as, for instance, money, buttons, &c., which become
quite useless through the great muscular powers of the
stomach."

According to Burmeister it inhabits the wooded districts
on the East Coast of Brazil, from Rio Janeiro to Bahia, and is
known there under the name of ' jMutung.' He only once
acquired a specimen from Rio de Pomba, and says that it is
seldom found in the more thickly populated districts and is
difficult to obtain. As a rule it does not perch very high up on
the trees, and is found most frequently in dark copses in the
underwood, making its nest either there or qjiife on the ground.*
Its food is mostly picked up on the ground, and consists
as a rule of fallen nuts and the larger kinds of seed.

Nest. — Is said to be'placed in a tree, and composed of sticks
and twigs.

Eggs. — Said to be four in number, large, and whitish in
colour.

IX. SPIX'S WATTLED CURASSOW. CRAX GLOBULOSA.

Crax globulosa, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 50, pis. Ixv. Ixvi. (1825);
Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 279, pi. xlvi. (1875); x. p.
544, pi. xci. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 482 (1893).

* This statement is probably incorrect.

THE CURASfOWS. 209

Adult Male. — Only differs from the male of C. carunculata in
having the swollen knob and wattles j'd'/^ze', instead of scarlet.

Adult Female. — Only differs from the female of C. carunculata
in having the basal part of both mandibles ye/Ioiv, instead of
scarlet.

Range. — Upper Amazons , Pebas, Rio Napo, Rio Maranon,
Rio Ucayali, and Sarayacu.

It seems more than probable that this species may prove to
be identical with C. carunculata ; in dried skins of the latter
the scarlet knob and wattles are always yellow ; and, so far as I
am aware, living examples of C. globulosa have never been
brought to Europe, so that Spix is the only authority for the
statement that the colour of the soft parts is yellow, and he
may have taken his description from dried skins. The fact
that the females of both are identical in plumage is even
stronger evidence that the two forms belong to the same
species. Further evidence is wanted, and it is to be hoj^ed that
any naturalist or sportsman visiting the Upper Amazons will en-
deavour to settle this point. The colours of the soft parts should
be noted as soon after death as possible, for they change rapidly.

X. daubenton's wattled curassow. crax daubentoni.
Crax daubentoni J Gray, List. Gallinae Brit. Mus. p. 15 (1867) ;
Sclater, Trans Z. S. ix. p. 276, pis. xli. xlii. (1875);
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 482 (1893).
Crax mikani, $ [nee ?], Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 343 (1870).

Adult Male. — Distinguished from the male of C. globicera by
having the tail-feathers tipped with zvkite, and a pak yellow
wattle on each side of the basal part of the lower mandible.
Total length, 34 inches; wing, i5'2 ; tail, 13-5 ; tarsus, 4*6.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the feathers

of the crest white near the base ; the breast, sides, and thighs

barred ivith tvhite (as in the adult female of C. pininui) ; the

wing-coverts more or less marked with lines of the same colour,

12 p

2IO ALLEN S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

and the secondary quills uniform black. These characters, as
well as the white belly and the tail-feathers being tipped with
ivhite^ distinguish it from the females of all the allied species.
Size smaller; wing, i4'5 inches.

Ranje. — Northern South America ; Venezuela.

Habits. — In 187 1, J\Ir. A. Warmington forwarded three living
examples of this species to the Gardens of the Zoological
Society, and furnished the following notes : — " The three
Curassows (one male and two females) were captured at
'Maron' near Tucacas, N. Venezuela, and at the present
time are nearly two years old, having been taken from the
nest when scarcely larger than a chick of two months old.
They soon became perfectly tame and would follow me about.
When able to fly they made short flights, always quickly return-
ing and seldom alighting. At night they invariably roosted
on the highest spot they could find in the home corral. They
are called by the natives ' Poru.' Their cry is a sort of
mournful prolonged whistle, and in the forest, when eight or
ten are together, has a very singular effect. It is not common
to see these birds on the ground. When they alight in a tree
they almost invariably utter their cry, and at the same time
raise the tail-feathers like a fan, thus exposing the white plumage
beneath, and offering a conspicuous and tempting mark for
the sportsman. They are excellent eating. I have never
heard of these birds breeding in confinement, though I cannot
say they do not. The young ones are exceedingly beautiful and
delicate little creatures, marked very much like, and having a
very similar appearance to young Partridges or Quails. They
become much attached to individuals who treat them kindly.
These birds are common in all parts of Venezuela where there
is a forest."

Daubenton's Wattled Curassow is only found in the low
country ; in the mountains its place appears to be taken by
the Helmeted Curassow {Pauxis pausi).

THE FLAT-CRESTED CURASSOWS. 21 1

Xr. PRINCE ALBERTS WATTLED CUR ASSOW. CRAX ALUERTL

Crax albcrti, Fraser, P. Z. vS. 1850, p. 246, pis. xxvii. xxviii.

[ncc ?]; Sclatcr, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 280, pi. xlviii.

{^'^1S)'> Ogilvic-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 4S3

(1893).
Crax viridirosfn's, Sclatcr, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 282 (1875); x.

p. 544, pi. xcii. (1879).

Adult Mah. — Like the male of C. danbentoni, but the swollen
knob at the base of the bill and the wattles on each side of
the base of the lower mandible are blue, and the lores are
thickly covered with feathers. Total length, 35 inches ; wing,
16 ; tnil, 15 ; tarsus, 4*6.

Adult Female. — Most like the female of C. fasciolata^ but
distinguished by having the crest-feathers nearly black, with
two narroiv white bars ; the lores densely feai he red ; the under-
parts of a much deeper chestnut colour ; and the outer primary
quills chestnut. Size smaller; wing, 15-2 inches.

Range. — North-eastern South America; United States of
Colombia.

THE FLAT-CRESTED CURASSOWS. GENUS NOTIIOCRAX.

Nothocrax, Burmeister, Syst. Uebers. iii. p. 347 (1856).

Type, N. uruinutuni (Spix).

The height of the upper mandible is greater than the width.

A full crest of long recumbent feathers covers the top of the
head.

Lores and a large space around the eye naked.

Tail composed of twelve feathers.

Leg (metatarsus) longer than middle toe and claw.

Only one species is known.

I. THE FLAT-CRESTED CURASSOW. NOTHOCRAX URUMUTUM.

Crax uru mil turn, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 49, pi. Ixii. (18:5).

P 2

212 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Urax uruinutuin, Burmeister, Syst. Uebers. iii. p. 347 (1856).

Nothocrax iirumiihim^ Burmeister, Syst. Uebers. iii. p. 347
(1856) ; Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p 282, pi. 50; x. p. 545,
pi. xciv. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 484 (1893).

Adult Male.— Crest black ; feathered parts of head, throat,
neck, and chest chestnut, shading into brownish chestnut on
the upper-parts, and all finely mottled with black ; breast and
rest of under-parts cinnamon, with some dusky mottling on the
sides ; outer webs of the secondary quills mottled with rufous-
buff ; tail black, tipped with whitish-buff. Naked space round
eye yellow above, purplish below; bill scarlet; legs flesh-
colour. Total length, 24 inches ; wing, 11*5; tail, 9; tarsus,
3*5 ; middle toe and claw, 2-9.

Adult Female. — Differs from the male in having the upper-
parts and middle tail-feathers more coarsely mottled with pale
rufous-buff on a darker ground ; and the chest, breast, and
sides clouded with dusky. Size smaller; wing, 10*5 inches.

Range. — British Guiana, Rio Negro, and Upper Amazons to
Rio Pastaza and Sarayacu in Ecuador.

Habits. — According to Natterer, this bird lives during the
day in hollow trees or the thickest part of the woods, and is
very seldom met with by sportsmen ; but when found it
behaves with extreme stupidity, and is caught by the Indians
with a loop fastened to the end of a pole. It searches for food
during the night, and its cry is heard before midnight and day-
break. The Indians light torches, and follow the cry till they
are near the bird, when they extinguish the light, and wait for
daybreak to kill it.

Mr. E. Bartlett writes: — "I first saw this beautiful species of
Curassow in a Peruvian's house, at Santa Maria on the Huallaga,
where it was running about along with the common fowls. The
bird appeared to be lively and active, and would fight the dogs
and fowls, driving them out of the house. A very curious cir-

tup: razor-billed curassows. 213

ciimstancc is tl^at when one of tlic hens commenced sitting
the bird would drive her off tlie nest and take her place ; this
I witnessed myself; the attempt at incubation, however, was
not of long duration, for the Curassow destroyed the eggs, as I
was informed afterwards by the owner.

" I ascertained that the bird came from the Rio Pastaza ;
and I believe it is not uncommon on that river and thoughout
the dense forests on the north-west bank of the Amazons.

"I have often heard this bird in the middle of the night near
Nauta.

"The Peruvians called it the ' Monte Piyu.'

"The habits of this bird render it most difficult to obtain,
from its living in holes or burrows in the ground. The Indians
remain in the forest all night at the place where it is heard. I
was informed by the Peruvians, whose word I could rely upon,
that these birds come out at night, and ascend to the top
branches of the lofty trees in search of food. The Indians are
on the look-out, and shoot them just before sunrise as they are
descending to return to their places of concealment, where they
pass the day."

THE RAZOR-BILLED CURASSOWS. GENUS MITUA.

Mitu^ Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 485 (1831).
Mitua, Strickl. Ann. Mag. N. H. vii. p. 36 (1841).

Type, M. miiu (Linn.).

Upper mandible much elevated, the height being greater than
the width.

Crest moderate or v;ell-developed, not curled at the ex-
tremity.

Lores thickly feathered.

Tail composed of twelve feathers.

Leg (metatarsus) longer than the middle toe and claw.

Sexes similar in plumage.

214 Allen's naturalist's library.

I. THE razor-billed curassow. mitua mitu.

Crax mitu., Linn. S. N. i. p. 270 (1766).

Fauxi miiu^ Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 8, 685 (1S15).

Ourax 7infu, Cuv. Regne An. i. p. 441 (1817) ; Temm. PI. Coi.

V. pi. 20 [no. 153] (1823).
Crax tuberosa, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 51, pi. Ixvii. a (1825),
Ourax erythrorhy7tcIius, Swains. Class. B. ii. p. 352 (1837).
Mitua brasilie?isls, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 137 (1862).
Mitua tuberosa, Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 283, pi. Ii. (1875).
Mitua mitu, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 486
(1893).

Adult Male and Pemale. — General colour black, glossed with
blue ; belly and under tail-coverts dark chestnut ; tail tipped
with white. Crest well developed ; upper mandible swollen
and elevated.

Male: Total length, 34 inches ; wing, 14-5 ; tail, 12 ; tarsus,
4'4 ; middle toe and claw, -^'^^

Female : Somewhat smaller.

Range. — British Guiana, extending eastwards to Para, south
along the Rio Tapajos and Rio Madeira to Matto Grosso, also
to Bolivia, westwards to Peru, the Rio Maranon, and the Upper
Amazons.

Mr. H. W. Bates, who met with numbers of this species on
the Rio Tapajos, writes : — "We were amused at the excessive
and almost absurd tameness of a fine Mutum or Curassow
Turkey that ran about the house. It was a large glossy-black
species, having an orange-coloured beak, surmounted by a
bean-shaped excrescence of the same hue. It seemed to con-
sider itself as one of the family, attended at all the meals,
passing from one person to another round the mat to be fed,
and rubbing the sides of its head in a coaxing way against
their cheeks or shoulders. At night it went to roost on a
chest in a sleeping-room beside the hammock of one of the
little girls, to whom it seemed particulary attached, following

THE RAZOR-BILLED CURASSOWS. 215

her wherever she went about the grounds. I found this kind
of Curassow bird was very common in the forests of the
Cupari ; but it is rare on the Upper Amazons. These birds
in their natural state never descend from the tops of the loftiest
trees, where they live in small flocks and build their nests. It
is difficult to find the reason why these superb birds have not
been reduced to domestication by the Indians, seeing that
they so readily become tame. The obstacle offered by their
not breeding in confinement, which is probably owing to their
arboreal habits, might, perhaps, be overcome by repeated
experiment ; but for this the Indians probably have not suf-
ficient patience or intelligence."

Nest. — Built of sticks, &c.j and placed in a tree.

Eggs. — Two in number, white, and rough-shelled.

IL THE LESSER RAZOR-BILLED CURASSOW. MITUA TOMENTOSA.

Crax tomeiitosa^ Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 49, pi. Ixiii. (1825).
Paitxi tomentosa^ Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 487 (1846).
U7'ax fof/iefitosa, Burmeister, Syst. Uebers. iii. p. 349 (1856).
Mitua tomentosa, Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 280, pi. Hi. (1875);
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 486 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour black glossed with
purplish-blue in the male, and with blue in the female ; belly,
under tail-coverts, outer part of thighs, and tips of tail-feathers
dark chestnut. Crest short. Upper mandible not much swollen.

Male: Total length, 35 inches ; wing, 15; tail, 13-3 ; tarsus,
4-8 ; middle toe and claw, 3*8.

Female: Somewhat smaller : wing, 14 inches.

Range. — British Guiana, extending southwards along the Rio
Bianco and Rio Negro.

in. SALVIN's RAZOR-BILLED CURASSOW. MITUA SALVINI.

Mitua salvini, Reinhardt, ^^id. Medd. Nat. Forh. Kjobenhavn,
Jan. 8th, 1879, pp. 1-6 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 108 ; Sclater,
Trans. Z. S. x. p. 545, pi. xcv. (1S79).

2l6 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Adult Male and Female. — General colour black, glossed with
blue ; loiver part of abdomen^ under tail-coverts, and tips of tail-
feathers, 7vhife. Crest elongate, as in M, initu.

J/^/^.- Total length, 28 inches; wing, 14-5; tail, 12-7;
tarsus, 5 ; middle toe and claw, 3-9.

Female : Slightly smaller.

Range. — Sarayacu, Ecuador.

THE IIELMETED CURASSOWS. GENUS PAUXIS.

Paitxi, Temm. Pig. et Gall. ii. pp. 456, 465, 468 (1813); iii.

pp. I, 683 (1815).
Pattxis, Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 285 (1875).

Type, P. pauxi (Linn.).

A large, elevated, egg-shaped casque, or helmet, covering the
base of the upper mandible and forehead.

Feathers of the head and neck short and velvety.

Lores thickly feathered.

Tail composed of twelve feathers.

Leg (metatarsus) longer than the middle toe and claw

Only one species is known.

I. THE IIELMETED CURASSOW. PAUXIS PAUXI.

Crax pauxi, Linn. S. N. i. p. 270 (1766) ; ^'ieill. Gal. Gis. ii.

p. 5, pi. 200(1825).
Crax galeata, Latham, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 624 (1790).
Pauxi galeata, Temm. Pig. et. Gall. iii. pp. i. 6S3 (1815);

Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 487, pi. cxxii. (1846).
Pauxis pauxi, Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 285, pi. liii. fig. i.

(1875); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 488

(1893).
Pauxis galeata, var. rubra, Sclater, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 285, pi.

liii. fig. 2 (1875).

Adult Male. — General colour black, glossed Vv'ith dark green ;

THE AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-PHEASANTS. 217

abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tips of tail-feathers white ;
casque slate-blue ; bill and legs red. Total length, 33-5 inches ;
wing, 14; tail, 13-2 ; tarsus, 4*2 ; middle toe and claw, 3*5.

Adult Female. — Differs chiefly from the male in having the chin
and throat mostly pale reddish-brown ; the back and wino--
coverts chestnut, barred with black and tipped with buff; the
lower back reddish-brown, with indistinct black bars ; the
chest rufous, barred with black, and the breast, sides, and flanks
rufous-buff. Size similar.

Some females resemble the male in plumage. Mr. Dawson
Rowley records an undoubted female in black plumage similar
to that of the male. Further information is required on this
subject.

Range. — Venezuela ; United States of Colombia ; Rio Cassi-
quiari, and R. Orinoco ; North-east and Central Peru. Buffon
records this species from Cayenne.

Mr. W. Summerhayes says that in the mountains of Vene-
zuela this bird is common, and takes the place of Crax danbeii-
toni^ which is only found along the littoral as far as the foot of
the mountains.

Eggs — Broad ovals ; shell white and rough. Average mea-
surements, 3 "5 by 2*5 inches.

THE AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-PHEASANTS. GENUS
OREOPHASIS.

Oreophasis, G. R. Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 485 (1844).
Type, O. derhiafius, Gray.
Width of the upper mandible greater than the height.
An elongate, straight, rather slender, cylifidrical casque or
helmet situated on the top of the head between the eyes ; crown
mostly naked.

Base of the upper mandible, as far as the nostrils, densely
covered with velvety feathers.

2l8 ALLEN S NATURALLSTS LIBRARY.

Tail composed of twelve feathers.

First primary flight-feather much the shortest, about half the
length of the fifth, which is equal to the tenth ; seventh slightly
the longest.

Leg (metatarsus) slightly longer than the middle toe and
claw.

Sexes similar in plumage.

Only one species is known.

I. THE EARL OF DERBY'S MOUNTATN-PHEASANT. OREOPHASLS
DERBIANUS.

Oreophasis derhimius. Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 485, pi. cxxi. (1844) ;

Sclater and Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 224; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.

B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 489 (1893).
Penelope front iconn's, A'an der Hoev. Handb. der Zool. ii. p.

435 (1852-56)-

Adult Male and Female.— General colour above black, glossed
with dark green ; base of upper mandible, forehead, and sides
of the head velvety black ; base of throat nearly naked ; chest
and breast white, with dark shaft stripes ; sides mostly buff,
with dark centres to the feathers ; a wide white band across
the middle of the tail. Helmet (thinly covered with hair-like
feathers), legs, and feet, deep vermilion ; bill, pale straw-colour ;
iris, white.

Male: Total length, 36 inches; wing, 15-5; tail, 15-2;
tarsus, 3-6; middle toe and claw, 3*4.

Female: Somewhat smaller ; wing, 14-8 inches.

Range. — Central America ; woods of the ^^olcan de Fuego,
Guatemala.

Habits. — This fine bird, one of the most interesting to be met
with in Central America, still remains one of the rarest prizes,
an^, so far as I am aware, is only to be found on the Volcan

THE AMERICAN MOUNTAIN-PHEASANTS. 219

de Fiiego. Previous to i860, only about seven specimens were
known, hut in that year Mr, Oshert Salvin, under the guidance
of one Jose Ordonez, a hunter from Dueiias, paid a visit to the
spot. Jose had on several previous occasions succeeded in
shooting specimens of the Mountain-Pheasant, but on this
expedition none were oljtained. Mr. Salvin writes: — "We
started at six o'clock in the morning at break of day, reached
the forest region at nine, and continued climbing until we had
almost passed out of it into the region of pines and coarse grass
with which the peak is clothed, but no OreopJiasis was met with.
Descending again, we struck the barranco in which Jose had
shot the specimens he brought me, but with no better success,
except that I found unmistakable 'sign' in the shape of
feathers, and the fruit of the tree I had been in search of.
Though not successful, this expedition was satisfactory in one
respect— I had seen a spot where the OreopJiasis certainly had
visited, and where my specimens had been killed. ... I
regret that I cannot give any other than Jose's account of the
habits of this bird, but as his stories bear a semblance of truth,
I do not hesitate in transcribing them. In the early morning
he told me he usually found them \\\ the upper branches of
the forest trees, searching for their favourite fruit (a species of
Pninus) which they eat both ripe and unripe ; as the day ad-
vances they descend to the underwood, where they remain all
day, basking and scratching among the leaves. This is pretty
much what a Penelope or Crax does, both of which I have
frequently had opportunities of observing in the forests of the
lowlands. The cry of the bird he could not describe satis-
factorily. . , ."

The OreopJiasis is known to the Indians frequenting the
mountains as " Khannanay " and to the Ladino^, or half-breed
Indians, as the '' Faisan."

Mr. Salvin informs me that he subsequently shot several ad-
ditional examples of the Mountain-Pheasant, but his personal
observations have not yet been published and will appear at

2 20 Allen's naturalist's library.

some future time in Messrs. Godman and Salvin's great work,
the " Biologia Centrali Americana."

THE PENELOPES. GENUS PENELOPE.
Penelope^ Merrem, Beytr. Vogel, pt. ii. p. 42 (1786); id. Av.
Icones et Descr. ii. p. 39 (1786).

Type, P. mm- ail ^ Gmel.

Width of the upper mandible greater than the height.

Nostrils situated rather far forward, never covered with
feathers ; top of the head feathered ; a large naked space
round the eye.

Chin and throat naked* with a median wattle.

Tail composed of twelve feathers.

The inner web of the outer primary quills not very deeply
excised at the extremity.

Leg (metatarsus) longer than, or about equal to, the middle
toe and claw.

Sexes similar in plumage.

Fifteen species are known ; some being about the size of a
half-grown Turkey, others as small as the Common Pheasant.

I. THE WHITE EYE-BROWED PENELOPE. PENELOPE
SUPERCILIARIS.

Penelope superciliaris, Illiger ; Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 72,
693 (1815) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 491

(1893).
Pejielope jaaipenwa, Spix, kv. Bras. ii. p. 55, pi. Ixxii. (1825).
Salpiza siiperciliaris, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.

Adult Male and Female. — Easily distinguished from all other
species of Penelope by having the wing-coverts and shoulder
feathers (scapulars) clearly bordered ivith light rufous.
Feathers of the crown uniform dark brown ; eyebrow-stripes

* In Penelope montagnii, P. sclateri. and P. ars^yrotis, the chin and upper
part of the throat are sometimes partially feathered.

THE PENELOPES. 221

white and well-defined ; otherwise like the following species,
P. mojitagnii. Total length, 24 inches ; wing, 9-5 ; tail, ii'3 ;
tarsus, 2*8; middle toe and claw, 2"6.

Range. — Brazil, Para, Bahia, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul,
Rio Parana, and Matto Grcsso.

Habits. — Prince Maximilian of Neuwied says: — "I have
found the ' Schacupemba ' in all i:arts of the forest I have tra-
versed, and it is observed even in those parts directly washed by
the waves of the sea. Although the bird is not scarce, it must
be carefully looked for in the thick interwoven branches, when it
does not immediately fly off. I have never observed the 'Schacu-
pemba ' on the ground, but always about half-way up the trees.
It has a short, harsh call, frequently repeated, from which one
may conclude that its trachea is not very highly developed. I
found the remains of fruit and insects in its crop. The
flesh is delicious. The Indians in many districts tame these
birds, and they run about in the woods round their huts."

ITest. — Placed in a tree, and composed of sticks and twigs.

Eggs. — Two to four in number.

II. MONTAGNE's PENELOPE. PENELOPE MONTAGNII.

Ortalida viontagnii, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 875 (1856).
Penelope montagiiii, Gray, List of Gallince, Brit. Mus. p. 8
(1867) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 492

(1893).
Stegnolania i;iontagMiLy^c\:iitr and Salvin, P. Z. S. 1870 p. 521.

Adult Male and Female. — Head, back and sides of the neck, and
feathers on the chin and throat dark brown, margined with pale
grey ; mantle, wings, and tail olive-brown, sometimes inclining
to rufous; lower hd.c^ ddixk chesijiiit ; fore-neck naked; chest
and breast olive-brown, each feather margined all round with
whitish-grey; rest of under-parts rufous-brown. Total length,
22 inches; wing, 9-5; tail, 10; tarsu<=, 2*4; middle toe and

222 AI.LENS NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

claw, 2 "3. As already noted, this species is peculiar in having
the chin and throat more or less covered with feathers, in which
respect it is approached by some examples of the nearly allied
P. sdaieri and P. argyrotis.

Range. — South America; Venezuela, United States of Colom-
bia, and Ecuador.

III. SCLATER's PENELOPE. PENELOPE SCLATERI.

Petielope sdateri^ G. R. Gray, P, Z. S. i860, p. 270; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 493 (1S93).
Adult. — Differs chiefly from P. nwntagjiii in having the
feathers of the chest and breast margined with whitish o}i the
sides on.y ; the eyebrow-stripes and feathers on the cheeks
whiter and more marked ; and the rump browner. In most ex-
amples the chin and upper part of the throat are almost naked,
but in some these parts are partially feathered. Total length,
22 inches; wing, 9*5-io'2*; tail, 9-4; tarsus, 2*4; middle toe
and claw, 2 '3.

Range. — South America ; Peru and Bolivia.

HaT3its. — Dr. J. Stolzmann found this species particularly
common in Northern Peru and to the west of the Maranon. It
is rarely met with above 7,500 feet, but at Tamiapampa it was
very common at 9,000, and appeared to be found right up to
the limits of forest growth. It is more noisy than iht Aburria
{Aburria alnirri), and, when flying, gives vent to a sound like
"Klou-klou-klou," much like that made by Turkeys, and it is pro-
bably from this cause that it derives it local name of " Calaluja "
in the provinces of Chota and Jaen. In the department of
Cajamarca it is said to nest at the same time as the Aburria^
that is in the months of December and January. As a rule it
is not a very shy bird, and easily obtained.

* No examples in which the sex has been ascertained have been ex-
amined. Possibly the smaller birds, \vith a winij measuring 9*5 inches,
are females.

THE PENELOPES. 223

IV. GREEY's PENELOPES. PENELOPE JACUPEBA.

Penelope Jaci/pel>a,^\i\\, i\\. Bras. ii. p. 54, pl- ^^^^' ('S23);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 494 (1893).
Penelope greeyi, G. R. Gray, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 206, pi. xxii.

Adult Male and Female. — General colour of the upper parts {in-
cluding the lower back) and the chest dark glossy olive-green ;
belly finely mottled with rufous and black; primary quills dark,
like the secondaries ; feathers of the forehead, eyebrow-stripes,
and cheeks edged with greyish-ivliite ; those of the hind-neck
and mantle similarly marked, but with the pale margins less
distinct ; those of the fore-neck and chest margined on the
sides with white.

Male: Total length, 29 inches; wing, 11 '5; tail, i2'i; tar-
sus, 2-3 ; middle toe and claw, 2*3.

Female: Rather smaller ; wing, 10 inches.

Range. — South America ; Para, British Guiana, Rio Negro,
and the United States of Colombia.

V. THE GUL\NA PENELOPE. PENELOPE MARAIL.

7 Penelope Jacupenia, ISIerr. Beytr. Vog. pt. ii. p 42, pi. xi.

(1786) ; id. Av. Icones et Deser. ii. p. 39 (1786).
Penelope niarail, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 734 (1788); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 495 (1893).
Salpiza niarail, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.
Penelope pn?purasce?is, J. E. Gray (nee Wagler), Knowsl.
Menag. ii. pi. xi. (1846).
Adult Male and Female. — General colour above {ificluding the
lower back) very dark bluish-green, much darker than in any
other species of the genus ; belly uniform dark broivn ; termi-
nal part of the outer primary quills pale broivn ; eyebrow-
stripes and cheeks dark grey ; feathers of the hind-neck and
mantle indistinctly margined on the sides with grey, those of
the fore-neck and chest with white. Total length, 32*5 inches ;
wing, 13-5 ; tail, 137 ; tarsus, 3-1 ; middle toe and claw, 3.

224 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Range. — South America ; British Guiana and Cayenne,

VI. ORTON's PENELOPE. PENELOPE ORTONI.

Penelope ortoni, Salvin, Ibis, 1874, p. 325; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 496 (1893).

Adult. — Brownish-bronze, with a shght wash of green ; the
feathers of the breast only margined with white on the sides.
Total length, 32 inches; wing, 11; tail, 9-4; tarsus, 2-2;
middle toe and claw, 2\.

I have had no opportunity of examining an example of this
species.

Range. — South America ; Western Ecuador.

The type specimen was obtained by Professor Orton near a
place called Mindo on the western slope of the volcano of
Pichincha, Ecuador.

VII. THE PURPLE PENELOPE. PENELOPE PURPURAoCENS.

Penelope purpiirascens^ Wagler, Isis, 1830, p. mo; Meyer,
Vo^el-Skel. pt. xviii. pi. clxxviii. (1892); Ogilvie-Grant,
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 496 (1893).

Salpiza piirpitrascens^ Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.

Adult Male and Female. — General colour above dull brownish-
olive, glossed with bronze-green, and shading into purplish on
the secondary quills and upper tail-coverts ; top of the head and
cheeks brown; lower back and rump brown, tinged with bronze ;
under-parts brown, the feathers of the neck, mantle, and
breast edged with white on the sides. Total length, 34-5
inches; wing, 15; tail, 14-6; tarsus, 3-4; middle toe and
claw, 3*2.

Range. — Central America ; Mexico, Yucatan, Guatemala, and
Honduras.

Mr. G. F. Gaumer says :— " The ' Cojollfo ' (in Maya, ' Kosh ')
is abundant only in certain localities. I know of but one
forest in Yucatan (Yak-Jonat) where this bird is found, but in

THE PENELOPES. 225

this forest I think I have seen Soo or more. It is very shy,
lives mostly upon the trees, where it feeds u[)oii fruit and
flowers, and also, in times of scarcity of fruit, upon leaves and
buds. On discovering a tree laden with ils favourite food, it
utters a loud yell, which is a signal for all the ' cojolitos ' in
the forest. In a moment, from every part of the forest come,
the yells of dozens of other individuals ; and soon the tree is
covered with these birds, and in a few minutes it is stripped of
its fruit, and the ' cojolitos ' fly away to return no more. It
has been my fortune twice to be beneath the tree when these
birds were feeding. The first time I counted eighty-four birds
in one hour and a quarter. The second time fifty-one birds
were in the tree, when I shot and brought down eight. The
flesh is eaten, though it is much darker and more solid than
that of the Kambool."

VIII. bridges' PENELOPE. PENELOPE OBSCURA.

Penelope obsaira, Illiger; Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 68, 693
(1815); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 497

(1893).
Penelope nigricapilla^ p. 269, P. bn'dgesi, p. 270, G. R. Gray,

P. Z. S. i860.
Adult Male and Female. — General colour of the upper-parts
and chest olive-brown, glossed with green and washed with
copper on the shoulder-feathers, rump, and upper tail-coverts.
From the nearly allied P. piirpiirascens it may be distinguished
by having the feathers of the top of the head margined with
grev, the belly indistinctly mottled with rufous, as well as by
its smaller size. From P. jacupeba, to which it is also nearly
related, it is distinguished by the uniform broivn cheeks and
less marked eyebrow-slripes, which are not continued behind
the ear-coverts. Total length, 29-5 inches; wing, ii'3; tar-
sus, 3'3; middle toe and claw, 3*2.

Range. — South America ; Uruguay, Southern Brazil (Rio to
Sao Paulo), Paraguay, North Argentina,, and Bolivia.

1? g

526 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

Habits. — According to Temminck this bird is by no means
rare in Paraguay, where it is known under the name of
"Yacuhu." It is most commonly met with in the forest
regions in the neighbourhood of rivers and lakes. Its cry con-
sists of the syllable j^rt^, repeated several times and given forth
in a high key, and it occasionally calls ^^yacu,'' from whence it
derives its name.

In Lower Uruguay, Mr. W. B. Barrows found this species,
the "Pavo del Monte," limited to tlie borders and islands of
the river, where in heavy growth of timber it was not uncom-
mon, though rarely seen. It has a very harsh, cackling cry.
The flesh is much esteemed, and the bird is easily domesti-
cated.

Nest. — Said to be a bulky structure placed in trees.

-Said to be eight in number ; white, and laid in the

month of October.

IX. THE CRESTED PENELOPE. PENELOPE CRISTATA.

Meleagris cristata^ Linn. S. N. i. p. 269 (1766).

Penelope cristata, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 733 (1788); Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 498 (1893).
Salpiza cristata, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.
Penelope brasih'ensis, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 877 (1856).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour above olive, glossed
with coppery-green ; top of the head and crest uniform dark
brown ; white margins to the feathers of the mantle almost, if
not entirely, absent ; lower back and rump dull chestnut, with
a slight greenish gloss ; breast dull olive, each feather margined
with white on the sides ; belly chestnut.

Male: Total length, 35 inches; wing, 14-5; tail, 14-5;
tarsus, 37 ; middle toe and claw, 3-4.

Female: Rather smaller ; wing, 13-5 inches.

Range.— Central America ; Southern Nicaragua, Costa Rica,

PLATE XXXVIII

<S^

THE CHESTNUT -BELLIED PENELOPE

THE PENELOPES. 22;

and Panama. South America; United States of Colombia
and Ecuador.

Habits. — In a note by Dr. Von Frantzius we find the follow-
ing : — "This beautiful 'Wood-Peacock' prefers the thickest
parts of the forest, perching in large numbers on the trees,
though at no very great height. It is eagerly sought after on
account of its delicious flesh, and the more so because it is
easy to shoot. It is often kept in a domestic state, as it will
stay in the neighbourhood of habitations without trying to
escape. In Costa Rica it is called ' Pava.' "

According to Mr. C. W. Richmond, these birds are common
in the forests on the Escondido, where they are usually found
in the loftiest trees. They are much hunted by the natives,
who call them " Qualms." A hunter is guided almost entirely
by the low, prolonged cry of the birds, uttered at times while
feeding, as without this clue it is almost impossible to find
them.

X. THE BOLIVIAN PENELOPE. PENELOPE BOLIVIANA.

} Penelope Jacucaca^ Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 52, pi. 68 (1823).
Penelope boHvlana, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 877 (1856); Ogilvie-
Giant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 499 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Nearly allied to P. cristatd, but
easily distinguished by having the feathers of the crest and
mantle margined ivith ivhitish-grey, by the general colour of the
breast and belly being chestnut^ as well as by the smaller size.

Male: Total length, 27 inches; wing, 12 ; tail, 13; tarsus,
-^•T^ ; middle toe and claw, 2*9.

P^e/nak : Smaller; wing, io'5 inches.

Range — South America. Brazil ; Rio Madeira, Rio Solimoes,
Lake Manaqueri. Upper Amazons ; Rio Huallaga. Peru and
Bolivia.

Habits. — 'Mr. Jean Stolzmann writes : — "I have only met with
this Penelope to the cast of the Maranon ; it is rather rare at

Q 2

225 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIliRAUY.

Huambo (3,700 ft.), equally so at Chirimoto, where 6,000 ft.
seems to be the furthest limit of its orographic distribution.
It usually keeps in pairs or in little flocks of two or three
pairs. Its affinity with P. sdateri shows itself not only in the
colouring, but also in the voice, in spite of the fact that the
note of our bird is very loud and disagreeable, somewhat re-
sembling the bray of an ass, hence its name of ' Gasnadoni.^
Another of its ordinary notes, which I have heard several
times in the evening at Huambo, is also disagreeable and
strange ; I at first attributed it to the Steittor. In the day-
time it generally hides in the thickets and only comes out
at sunset. Besides the name mentioned above, it has another,
Puca-cunga (puca = red, cunga = neck). I have also several
times heard a resounding note, like '■ ti-toii-iy^^ repeated several
times over, which is more pleasant than the others."

XL THE WHITE-HEADED PENELOPE. PENELOPE PILEATA.

Penelope pikata, Wagler, Isis, 1830, p. 11 09; Des Murs,
Icon. Orn. pi. 23 (1845); J. E. Gray, Knowsl. Menag.
pi. 9. (1846) [incorrectly coloured] ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 500 (1893).

Salpiza pikata, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.

Adult Male and Female. — Distinguished from all the species
previously described by having well-marked black eyebrow-stripes
contrasting strongly with the pale sides of the crown. Crown
of head white with dark shafts and chestnut tips to the longer
feathers ; neck and under-parts dark chest mi tj rest of upper-
parts rich glossy olive-green ; most of the feathers of the
mantle, wing-coverts, fore-neck, and breast edged with white
on the sides; lower back and rump washed with dark reddish-
brown.

Male:Toi2\ length, 31 inches: wing, 12-8; tail, 13-6;
tarsus, 3*4 ; middle toe and claw, 3*2.

Female: Smaller; wing, 12-2 inches.

THE PRNKI.OPFS. 229

Range. — South America. Brazil; near Para, Rio Madeira,
near the mouth of the Rio Negro, and Rio Vaula.

Eggs — Rather long ovals ; shell white, finely pitted all
over. Measurements, 2*9 by 2*05 inches.

XII. THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED PENELOPE. PENELOPE

OCHROGASTER.

Penelope ochroo-asfer, Natterer; Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 282, 337
(1870); Ogilvie-Cirant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 501

(1893).

[Plafe XX XVI II.)

Adult Male. — Nearly allied to P. piieafa, the black eyehroiv-
siripes being well marked, but the plumage is altogether paler
in colour ; feathers of the top of the head reddish-brown,
edged on the sides with white ; back of the neck dull olive-
brown, with a slight rufous wash, but scarcely differing in colour
from the inantle ; under-parts light chestnut. Total length,
30 inches; wing, 13*3; tail, 14*2; tarsus, 3-5; middle toe
and claw, 3*1.

I have had no opportunity of examining the female of this
species, but it is said to resemble the male.

Range. — South America ; near Cuyaba, Matto Grosso,
Brazil.

XIII. THE BROWN PENELOPE. PENELOPE JACUCACA.

Penelope jacucaca, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 53, pi. 69 (1825);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 501 (1893).
Salpiza jacucaca, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1226.
Penelope superciliaris, J. E. Gray (nee Temm.) Knowsl. Menag.

ii. pi. viii. (1846).
Adult Male and Female. — Most nearly allied to P. p ilea fa and
P. ochrogasfer, which they resemble in having well-marked black
eyebrow-stripes, but easily distinguished from both by having
the whole plumage of the upper- ajid under-parts dark brown,
the former slightly glossed with green ; the feathers of the fore-
head, wing-coverls, and breast edged on the sides with white.

230 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Total length, 28 inches; \Ying, ii'S; tail, in; tarsus, yz ;
middlj tee and claw, 3*2.

Range. — South America; Bahia, Brazil, and British Guiana.

XIV. THE BAR-TAILED PENELOPE. PENELOPE ARGYROTIS.

F//>/7e ar^yrofis, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 875 (1856).

re}ielope montana, Licht ; Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 877 (1856).

Peneloj^e lichtcnsteinii, Gray, P. Z. S. i860, p. 269.

Penelope argyrotis, OgilYie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

501 (1893)-

Adult. — Easily distinguished from all the other species of
Penelope previously described by the tail-feathers, which have a
distinet terminal band of rufous. In other respects it most
nearly resembles P. sclaferi, but the pale eyebrow-stripes are
more marked, and the feathers of the mantle, wing-coverts,
and breast are edged with pure white. Total length, 24
inches; wing, 10-10-9 ; tail, 10*5 ; tarsus, 2-3 ; middle toe and
claw, 2-y

Eange. — South America; Ecuador, United States of Colombia,
and Venezuela.

XV. THE WHITE-WINGED PENELOPE. PENELOPE ALBIPENNIS.

Penelope albipennis, Tacz. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 746; Ogilvic-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 502 (1893).

Adult Male. — Appears to be most nearly allied to P.jacupeha

and P. ortoni^ but differs from these and all other species of

Penelope in having \hQ first eight primary quills ivhite^ with only

the base and tip dusky, and the ninth quill whitish towards the

middle. Wing, 13; tail, 13; tarsus, 3-4; middle toe and claw,

37.

I have never seen an example of this bird, but from what

Mr. J. Stolzmann, the original discoverer of the bird, says, it

is clearly a well-marked species, and not a partial albino, as one

mid-it at first be inclined to believe.

THE PENELOPKS. 23 I

Range. — South America ; vicinity of Tumbcz, Western Peru.

Habits. — Mr. J. Stolzmann writes : — " This species, the
only representative of the Family found on the Peruvian
Coast, has now been almost exterminated. I have only seen
it at Tumbez, where, thirty years ago, it was still common, and
could be found close to the town ; but, thanks to continual
persecution, it has retired into the inaccessible mangroves,
where I judged there were not more than fifteen pairs left. I
gather, however, from what I have been told, that it is still to
be found in all the valleys of the larger rivers from Northern
Peru to the valley of Chicama. I have no doubt that it also
occurs in the valleys of Lambayeque and Naucho (Rio de
Sana), but it is everywhere rare and very shy. They tell me
that it also inhabits the mangroves at the mouth of the Zuru-
milla, which forms the frontier between Peru and Ecuador;
and 1 am not sure that it does not occur in the neighbouring
districts of the latter republic. The only certain find for this
Penelope in the neighbourhood of Tumbez is the Isle of Con-
deza, one of the numerous little islands in the delta of the
river. This island is entirely surrounded by an impenetrable
wood of rhizophores, whilst the centre is covered with hif^h
bushes. This Penelope spends the entire day in the inacces-
sible thickets, only leaving them at sunrise and sunset to
search for food amongst the trees (algarrobes). In January
and February, which is the season in which we have looked
for this bird, its principal food consisted of the black berries
of a bush called lipe, but it also appears to eat the shoots of
the algarrobes.

"It is one of the most difficult birds to procure, but the easiest
time to find it is in the early morning and at dusk, when it is
feeding ; at other times of the day it is almost impossible to
approach it. We were obliged to go to the island during the
night; and, as it was then low tide, we had to take a dozen steps
up to our knees in mud. On landing we were attacked by clouds
of mosquitos, which abound at this season. . . . Suffice it to

232 at.len's naturalist's library.

say that during eight expeditions I only succeeded in obtaining
three shots, out of which two birds Were wounded and lost,
while the third is now in the Warsaw Museum. About the
loth of January, 1877, my companion (M. Jelski) shot a
female, which was quietly sitting on a branch, and noticed
that another small bird fell at the same moment ; this was a
chick about two days old, and a second remained on the
branch unhurt. Probably the mother was holding them
under her wing, for the one that was killed was on the side
nearest the shooter. On the same tree there was a thick nest,
loosely composed of dry sticks, and placed at a height of about
three metres above the ground. My companion brought this
living chick back to the house; we were luckily successful in
rearing it." A long and interesting account follows of the
bringing up of this bird, which showed remarkable intelligence
and affection for its human foster-parents.

IJest. — Placed in a tree, and composed of sticks and twigs.

THE BLACK PENELOPES. GENUS PENELOPINA.

Penelopi7ia, Reichenb. Tauben. p. 152 (1862).

Type. P. nigra ( Eraser).

Sexes differ from o?ie another in plumage. Top of the head
feathered, but the feathers do not form a crest.

The width of the upper mandible is greater than the height.
Throat and fore-neck naked, with a median wattle in the male.

Tail composed of tivelve feathers, rather long and rounded ;
the outer pair being about two-thirds of the length of the
middle pair.

First primary flight feather much the shortest : eighth about
equal in length to the tenth ; ninth slightly the longest.

[In the immature male the wing is of quite a different shape,
the first primary flight-feather being shorter than the second,

THE r.LACK PENELOrES. 233

which is about equal to the tenth, and the sixth is shgiuly the
longest]

Tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw.

Only one species is known.

I. THE BLACK TENELOPE. PENELOPINA NIGRA.

Fejiclope fiiger, Fraser, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 246, pi. xxix.
Penelopina ?iigm, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 152 (1862); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 503 (1893).

Adult Male. — The whole plumage black glossed with dark
green or bluish-green ; the under-parts, especially the belly,
browner and less strongly glossed. Naked space round eye
purple ; throat, fore-part of neck, and large wattle red. Bill,
legs, and feet red. Total length, 25 inches ; wing 9-3 ; tail,
II ; tarsus, 2*8-3 ; middle toe and claw, 2-6-2-8.

Adult Female. — -May be distinguished by having the feathers
of the crown and back of the neck black edged with brown ;
the rest of the upper-parts barred with rufous and black ; the
chest sandy-brown, indistinctly mottled with black ; the breast
and sides with concentric bars of rufous-buff and dark brown;
the belly brownish-grey, with dusky mottling. Colours of
naked skin, &c., and measurements as in the male.

Eanje. — Central America ; the highlands of Guatemala.

Mr. Salvin gives the following note on the peculiar sound
that this bird makes when on the wing. He says :— " I well
remember being startled by a strange sound when shooting in
one of the ravines in the Volcan de Agua in Guatemala. Not
at first perceiving whence it arose, I walked on, when the noise
was again repeated. I then set about discovering the cause,
and soon found that it was produced by a male Penelopina
nigra which, when flying in a downward direction with out-
stretclied wings, gave forth a kind of crashing, rushing noise
which I likened at the time to the falling of a tree."

2^^ ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

THE GUAXS. GENUS ORTALIS.
Orfa/is, Merrem, Av. Icones et Descr. il. p 40 (1786); Whar-
ton, Ibis, 1879, p. 450.

Type, O. viotnwt (Linn.).
Sexes similar in plumage. Top of the head feathered.
The width of the upper mandible is greater than the height.
A large naked space round the ej-e ; a hand of thin feathers
down the middle of the throat ; no wattle.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, long and rounded, the
outer feathers being shorter than the middle pair.

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the tenth ; the
sixth slightly the longest.

Tarsus about equal in length to the middle toe and claw.
To facilitate identification the species may be divided as
follows : —

A. Outer primary flight-feathers brown or bronze-brown.
a. Extremities of the outer tail-coverts chestnut.
rt\ Chest uniform in colour.

^-. Outer tail-feathers chestnut almost to the

base (species i and 2, pp. 235, 236).
Ir. Outer tail-feathers with the basal half or more
dark, and the remainder chestnut (species
3 to 6, pp. 236-238).
b^. Chest feathers margined or spotted with whitish
at the extremity.*
r. Third pair of tail-feathers never widely tipped
with chestnut on both webs; no strongly
marked eyebrow-stripe extending back-
wards down the sides of the head (species
7 to 10, pp. 239-241).
^. Third pair of tail-feathers widely tipped
with chestnut on both webs ; white eye-
brow stripes strongly marked and continued

* In 0. snperciliaris the spots on the feathers of the chest are rather
faint and indistinct.

THE GUANS. 235

backwards down the sides of the neck
(species ii, p. 244).
h. Extremities of the outer tail-feathers white or buff
(species 12 to 14, pp. 244-247).
B. Outer primary flight-feathers chestnut (species 15 to 17,
pp. 248, 249).

A. Outer primary flight-feathers brown, or bronze-brown. Ex-
tremities of the outer tail-feathers chestnut. Chest uniform
in colour. Outer tail feathers chestnut almost to the base.

I. THE GUIANA GUAN. ORTALIS MOTMOT.

Phasianus motmot, Linn. S. N. i. p. 271 (1766).

Faisan de la Guiane, D'Aubent. PI. Enl. ii. pi. 2^2 [Xo. 146].

Phasianus katraca, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. pi. 9 (17S3).

Phasianus parraka, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 740 (17S3).

Ortalida motmot, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.

Orfalis motmot, Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 175 / Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 505 (1893).
Adult Male.— Top of the head and nape dark chestnut: upper
parts olive-brown, with a rufous tinge in freshly-moulted
specimens; sides of head and fore-neck chestnut; breast
brownish or olivaceous-grey; belly paler. Total length, 23
inches; wing, 8-3: tail, 10-3; tarsus, 27; middle toe 'and
claw, 2-4.

Adult Female.— Probably similar to the male, but I have not
examined any examples in which the sex has been properly
ascertained.

Rarge.— Northern South America : Cayenne, British Guiana,
Rio Negro, and Rio Branco.

Habits.— According to Mr. C. B. Brown the native name of
this bird is "Nanaquah." It is easily tamed, readilv inter-
breeds with domestic fowls, and the hybrids are said to be ve;y
pugnacious. Its native name is, of course, derived from its cry
of "Nannaquci."

236 Allen's naturalist's library.

Nest. — Built of sticks and placed in a low tree.
Eggs. — Four in number, speckled, and little inferior in size
to those of a fowl. {C. B. Brown.)

II. THE PARA GUAN. ORTALIS ARAUCUAN.

Penelope a7'cmcuan, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 56 (1825).
Penelope araaian, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. pi. 74 (1825).
Orialida araiinian, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Ortalis araucuan, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 506
(1893)-
Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from O. viotnwt by having
the top of the head, nape, and feathered parts of the sides of
the head dark brown, as well as by its iiiuch smaller size. Total
length, 17 inches; wing, 6-8; tail, 8-2; tarsus, 1-9; middle
toe and claw, i-8.

Adult Female. — Probably similar to the male ; but no female
specimens in which the sex has been properly ascertained have
been examined by me.

Range. — North-east of South America. Province of Maranhao,
and the vicinity of Para.

h'. Outer tail-featJiers ivith the basal half or more dark., and the
7'eniainder chestnut.

III. THE RUFOUS-HEADED GUAN. ORTALIS RUFICEPS.

Penelope ruficeps., Wagler, Isis, 1830, p. iiii.
Ortalidarujiceps, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Ortalis ruficcps, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. IMus. xxii. p. 506
(1893).

Adult. — Differs from the three following species of this group
in having the top of the head rifoiis- chestnut ; from O. mot mot
it is at once distinguished by having tlie outer tail-feathers
blackish, glossed with green and tipped with chestnut, as in
O.wagleri. Total length, 16-25 inches; tail 7-8.

Tvange.— Brazil.

PLATE XXXIX.

WAGLER S GUAN

THE GUANS.

IV. WAGLERS GUAN. ORTALIS WAGLKRI.

237

Ortalida iva^icri^ G. R. Gray, List (ialliiKu I5rit. Mus. j). 12

(1867);
Ortalis ivagleri^ Ogilvic-Grant, Cat. 13. Urit. Mus. xxii. p. 507

(1893).

{Plate XX XIX.)

Adnlt Male and Female. — Top of the head hrownisJi-black,
shading into dark grey on the nape ; eyebrow-stripes, feathers
on the sides of the head and down the middle of the throat
paler grey; breast and rest of under-parts cJiestmit ; four outer
pairs of tail-feathers dark bluish-green, widely tipped with dark
chestnut. Total length, 25-5 inches; wing, 9-5; tail, io"5 ;
tarsus, 3 ; middle toe and claw, 3.

Range. — AVestern Mexico ; Sinaloa and the Territory of
Tepic.

V. JARDINE's GUAN. ORTALIS RUFICAUDA.

Ortalida ncficauda, Jardine, Ann. Mag. N. H. xx. p. 374 (1S47);

id. Contr. Orn. 1841, p. 16, pi. [structure].
Ortalida bronzina, G. R. Gray, List Gallinas Brit. Mus. p. 1 1

(1867).
Ortalis rnjicauda^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 507
(1893).
Adult Male and Female. — Top of the head and nape uniform
diirk grey ; chest brownish-olive; breast and belly whitish buff ;
\}[\Qfive outer pairs of tail-feathers tipped with chestnut.

Male: Total length, 24 inches ; wing, 8*6; tail, 10; tarsus,
2 "5 ; middle toe and claw, 2-4.

Female: Rather smaller; wing, 8*2 inches.

Eange. — Northern South America ; Venezuela and the island
of Tobago.

Eggs. — Long, oval, white, with a finely grained surface.
Measurements, 2 45 by 17 inches.

238 Allen's naturalist's library.

vi. the grey-headed guan. ortalis canicollis.

Penelope canicollis,\N2i^^'c^ Isis, 1830, p. 1112.
Ortalida cam'collis, VV'agler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Orialida guttata, White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 627.
Ortalis canicollis. Salvia ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxii. p. 508 (1893).

Adult. — Very similar to O. riificaiida, but the chest and upper
breast darker and of a more oHve-grey colour ; the chestnut
tips to the tail-feathers much wider, and confined to the two
outer pairs of tail-feathers. Total length, 20 inches; wing,
8-8 ; tail, 9*9 ; tarsus, 2*35 ; middle toe and claw, 2*35.

Only female examples have been examined, but the male is
no doubt similar in plumage.

Eange. — Central South America ; Paraguay, Rio Parana, Rio
Vermejo, Lower Pilcomayo, Salta and Tucuman in the Argen-
tine Republic, Villa Maria on the Upper Paraguay, Brazil.

Mr. J. Graham Kerr says : — " The ' Charata ' is exceedingly
abundant in all the thick forests of the Pilcomayo. They
occasionally descend to the ground to feed, but this is com-
paratively rare ; usually they remain amongst the upper branches
of the trees, feeding on various fruits. This is a sociable bird,
many being usually found near one another. It is also rather
timid ; but this quality is in great part masked by its intense
curiosity. When one enters a forest in which the 'Charatas'
are not accustomed to the sight of man, they examine the in-
truder curiously, and call their companions with their soft and
cheepy call note. If one remains perfectly still all the birds
within hearing collect around, and by answering their call-notes
one can bring them down to within a few feet.

" If one walks up towards a tree in which are some ' Chara-
tas' they first utter their soft call-note to draw their companions'
attention, and then, as one comes nearer, they begin to hop
about uneasily, and their voices rise in pitch by regular grada-

THE GUANS. 239

lions until they end in shrill screams, amusingly expressive of
fear and timidity.

" x\t times, more especially just about sunrise, the commu-
nity of Charatas unite together to produce an extraordinary
din. They utter loud and very harsh cries, something like the
sound of a gigantic rattle, or of the syllables ' chacarata, cha-
carata,' from which they get their Guarani name, 'Charata.'
All the birds in one part of the forest uniting in this, the effect
is almost deafening. Other companies of birds answer, and
on a fine morning in the Chaco, just after sunrise, one hears
these Charata-choruses resounding in all directions.

'•' The Charata is a favourite article of food with the Indians,
who attract it by imitating the call-note, and shoot it with
bow and arrow. Amongst the Tobas it is called " Cochine,"
in imitation of its call."

b^. Chest-feathers margined or spotted with whitish at the extremi-
ties. Third pair of tail feathers never widely tipped iviih
chestnut on both ivebs. No strongly marked eyebrow stripes
extending backwards dozen the sides of the head.

VII. THE WHITE-BELLIED GUAN. ORTALIS ALBIVENTER.

Penelope albiventris^ Wagler, Isis, 1830, p. iiii.
Ortalida albiventris, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Ortalis albiventris, Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.
508 (1893).

Adult. — Top of the head and nape brownish-chestnut; feathers
on the sides of the face and upper-parts of the ntok pointed
and edged with white; upper -parts olive-brown (with some
bronze or purplish gloss in freshly moulted specimens) ; lower
back mostly chestnut ; chest and breast brownish, edged with
white ; belly white ; three outer pairs of tail-feathers dark olive-
green, with the terminal half chestnut. (In some examples
the third pair are also tipped with chestnut.) Total length,

24o ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

19 inches ; wing, 7 ; tail, 8-5 ; tarsus, ri ; middle toe and claw

2*J.

I have not examined any examples of this species in which
ihe sex has been satisfactorily ascertained.

Range. — Eastern South America ; Provinces of Pernambuco,
Bahia, and INIinas Geraes, Eastern Brazil.

Habits. — Concerning this bird Prince ^Maximilian of Neuwied
writes: — "I have not found the Aracuary farther south than
the Rio Doce, but from thence northward it is often met with
on the Mucuri, Alcobacu, in the Serlong of Bahia, Minas
Geraes, and in the swamps and carascos of the Campo Geral. It
seems to frequent the secluded interior parts of the forest less
than the undergrowth of the woodlands, the catingas, carascos,
and the tliick tang'ed bushes of the sea coast, where the vege-
tation is so thickly interwoven that it is scarcely possible to
penetrate it. The birds live here, except in the pairing-season,
in small flocks, and one frequently hears the loud peculiar cry
of the cock, which consists of several separate broken notes.
I often found these birds in pairs among the above-mentioned
bushes on the sand. When dislodged by my dogs their harsh
cry, with other notes, was immediately heard. I also found
them on the shores of the River Ilheos at the commencement
of the undergowth. In the month of January I found young
birds of this species already quite strong. The Aracuary is
excellent eating, and the breast is well-covered with fiesh. Its
general habits and mode of life are very similar to those of the
other species of the group."

Nest. — Built of twigs and placed in a low tree.

Eggs. — Two or three in number, long ovals, white; surface of
shell grained. T^leasurements, 23 by 1-5 inches.

Vin. THE SCALY GUAN. ORTALIS SQUAMATA.

Ortalida squamata. Lesson, Diet. Sci. Nat. lix. p. 195 (1829).
Ortalis squamata, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 509
(1893).

THE GUANS.

241

Adult. — Very closely allied to O. albivcnie7\ but the top of
the head is more olive, and the feathers of the sides of the
face and upper parts of the neck are rounded and 2iniform olive-
brown ; belly brownish-white.

Range.— South-eastern South America. Provinces of Rio
Grande do Sul and (?) Santa Catharina.

IX. THE WHITE-FRONTED GUAN. ORTALIS CARACCO.

Ortalida caracco, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.

Ortalida adspersa, G. R. Gray, List Gallinae Brit. Mus. p. 13

(1867).
Ortalis caracco, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 509
(1893).

Adult. — Top of the head dark grey; front of the head whitish;
feathers of the chest and breast rather narrowly margined all
round with whitish. Total length, 22 inches; wing, 8*8 ; tail,
io'5; tarsus, 2*4; middle toe and claw, 2-4.

No specimens have been examined in which the sex has been
ascertained.

Eange. — North-western South America ; United States of
Colombia and Upper Amazonia.

X. SPIX'S WHITE-FRONTED GUAN. ORTALIS GUTTATA.

Fe?ieIope giiftata, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 55, pi. 73 (1825).
Ortalida guttata, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Pe7ielope adspersa, Tschudi, Wiegm. Arch. 1843, p. 386.
Ortalis guttata, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 510

("893)- ^

Adult Male. — Closely allied to O. caracco, but only the fo7-e-
head is grey ; the whitish margins to the chest-feathers are
narrower, and the measurements are somewhat less. Total
length, 19 inches; wing, 77; tail, 9; tarsus, 2-3; middle toe
and claw, 2*3.

No female examples in which the sex has been ascertained

12 R

242 ALLEN S NATURALIST S LIBRARY.

have been examined. It is somewhat doubtful whether this
and the preceding species are really distinct from one another,
but more material is required to settle the question.

Range. — North-western and Central South America : Upper
Amazons, United States of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Matto Grosso, and the Rio Madeira.

Habits. — According to Mr. J. Stolzmann, this species is com-
mon in the valley of Huayabamba, and occurs up to an eleva-
tion of 6,000 feet at Santa Rosa, but from constant persecution
it has become much rarer in the more inhabited parts of the
country. He writes : — " One cannot call it a forest bird, for I
have never met it in the depths of the forests, and it keeps more
to the outskirts, and is met with along river banks and among
tangled undergrowth. It is generally found in small flocks ot
three or four pairs which, on sighting a human being, utter a
wTird and hoarse cry, which they repeat several times with out-
stretched necks and enquiring gestures. It is not naturally a
shy bird, and it is only in the more inhabited parts of the
country that it becomes wild. Many times at Huambo, when
we were busy working, these birds would fly up and perch on
the neighbouring trees, sometimes lighting on the roof of the
house, and even on the ladder placed before the window.
These visits were especially numerous in wet weather, when
numbers of these birds, in company with Pigeons, availed
themselves of the dry ground under the verandah of the house.
The country people call the places that remain dry during the
rains, sheltered by overhanging rocks and such-like, " cal-
pares," and it is well known to hunters that these spots are a
sure find for birds, more especially Penelopes, Ortalids, and
Pigeons. At Troncopola (Huambo) there was a deserted house
without walls, and supported by four pillars. Here, if ap-
proached cautiously, we always, especially in the morning,
found Guans or Pigeons, attracted by the dry ground and
ashes.

" One day, on returning from shooting, I found a flock of

THE GUANS. 243

Ortalis in front of my house ; one of them, losing its presence
of mind, rushed into my room and perched on a plank, but
managed to make its escape through a hole in the wall.

"Their cry, which is uttered in the morning and afternoon,
may be heard at a considerable distance, each pair in turn
uttering an inharmonious duet. When calling they sit perched
on the larger branches close to one another, and whilst one,
probably the male, repeats the Jwu-dou-gou, his mate adds after
the two first syllables d-ra-cou, which together make up the
word hou-dou-d-ra-cou^ of which the middle a is the highest
and most accentuated note. Throughout the greater part of
its range in South America it is known by the same name with
slight variations ; whilst in the district of Ayacucha it is called
" manakaraku," and in the Amazon district "uataraku."

"In addition to its alarm-note during the nesting-season, I
can mention three others. The first may be expressed by the
syllable ' kyt.' A second, rarely heard, and which is best ex-
pressed by the word ' piou,' is an expression of surprise given
vent to as the bird flies up. The third is a piercing cry of
despair ; one day I heard a bird crying in this way during a
whole afternoon.

"The following details, which require confirmation, were
supplied me by the natives.

" Several females make one nest in common, for twelve to
fourteen eggs are to be found in it, and I have only once seen
a female with two chicks. The eggs are white. The nest if=
placed on the ground, and the natives declare that by remov-
ing most of the eggs and only leaving one or two the Ortalids
can be induced to go on laying, but I think this is extremely
doubtful. It is said that the male will cross with domestic
poultry. It is certain that March and April are the nesting-
season.

"When walking along horizontal branches, these birds place
their feet with the toes turning inwards, like other Penelopes
and Pigeons. The flight is heavy and short."

R 2

2A\. ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY.

Tschudi, ^Yho met with this species in Peru, gives the fol-
lowing note regarding its habits : — " This species lives in flocks
in the more thinly-wooded parts of most of the Peruvian
Montaiias. The Indians call it ' Haccha-Nualpa ' (Woodcock).
After sunset a number of these birds will collect for the night
on a large tree and give vent to a piercing shrieking cry, which
is fairly expressed by the syllables ' Ven-aca.' Before sunrise
this cry is repeated, and the flock disperses for the day."

d^. T/drd pair of tail-feathers widely tifped zvith chest mit on both
2vebs; ivhite eyebroiv-stripes strongly marked and contifiued
backwards down the sides of the ?ieck.

XI. THE WHITE-EYEBROWED GUAN. ORTALIS SUPERCILIARIS.

Ortalida superciliaris, G. R. Gray, List. Gallinae Brit. Mus.

p. ID (1867).
Orialis sKperciliaris, Ogilvie-Grant Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.

p. 511 (1893).

Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from O. guttata and the
preceding species by the wide whitish eyebrsw-stripes, the four
outer pairs of tail-feathers tipped with chestnut, the third pair
being almost as widely tipped on both webs as the fourth.
Total length, 17 inches; wing, 6-8; tail, 7-2; tarsus, rS;
middle toe and claw, 1*8.

Only the type specimen, a male, is known.

Range. — South America. The exact locality is not known.
b. Extremities of the outer pairs of tail feathers white or buff.

XII. THE GREY-HEADED GUAN. ORTALIS POLIOCEPHALA.

Penelope poliocephala^ Wagler, Isis, 1830, p. 11 12.
Ortalida poliocephala, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Ortalis poliocephala, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 511 (1893).

Adult Male and Female.- — Top of the head and neck dark grey;

THE GUANS. 245

general colour of upper-parts and chest, greyish-olive ; breast
and belly white ; under tail-coverls rufous-buff ; tail-feathers
tipped with buff. Total length, 25 inches; wing, 9-6; tail,
IO-8 ; tarsus, 28 ; middle toe and claw, 2-8.

Range. — Mexico ; Rio Armeria, Rio Tupila, Real Arriba,
Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, and Tehuantepec.

XIII. THE LESSER GREY HEADED GUAN. ORTALIS VETULA.

Fenelope vetula,\Nd.^Qrj Isis, 1830, p. 11 12.

Orta/ida vefula,V\hiu).(ir, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.

Ortalida jnaccalii, Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 611 (i860).

Ortalida plumbiceps^ G. R. Gray, List Gallinoe Brit. Mus. p. 11

(1867).
Ortalida ruficrissa,'$i^'dXQX ?i\\^ Salvin, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 538.
Ortalis veiula^ Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 460; Ogilvie-Grant,

Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 512 (1893).
Ortalis vetula maccali^ Coues ; Bendire, N. Am. B. p. 119,

pi. iii. fig. 16 [Egg] (1892).
Ortalis vetula pallidiveutris. Ridgway, Man. N. Am. B. p. 209

(1887).
Adult Male and Female. — Differs from O. poliocephala in being
much smaller, and in having the head and neck less grey.
Total length, 20 inches ; wing, 8 ; tail, 9*6 ; tarsus, 2*5 ; middle
toe and claw, 2-5.

This species varies somew^hat in colour in the different parts
of its wide range, especially on the under-parts of the body,
but from the very large series of specimens examined it is clear
that all are merely climatic varieties of one form.

Range. — Southern Texas, extending through Eastern Mexico
and Central America to the United States of Colombia.

Habits. — Assistant-Surgeon James C. Merrill, U.S. Army, in
his notes on the " Ornithology of Southern Texas," writes as
follows: — "The 'Chachalac,' as the present species is called
on the Lower Rio Grande, is one of the most characteristic
birds of that region. Rarely seen any distance from woods or

246 ALLEN S naturalist's LIBRARY

dense chaparral, they are abundant in those places, and their
hoarse cries are the first thing heard by the traveller on awaking
in the morning. During the day, unless rainy or cloudy, the
birds are rarely seen or heard, but shortly before sunrise and
sunset they mount the topmost branch of a dead tree, and
make the woods ring with their discordant notes. Contrary
to almost every description of their cry which I have seen, it
consists of three syllables, though occasionally a fourth is
added. When one bird begins to cry, the nearest bird joins
in at the second note, and in this way the fourth syllable is
made ; but they keep such good time that it is often very diffi-
cult to satisfy oneself that this is the fact. I cannot say cer-
tainly whether the female utters this cry as well as the male,
but there is a well-marked anatomical distinction in the sexes
in regard to the development of the trachea. In the male
this passes down the outside of the pectoral muscles, beneath
the skin, to within about one inch of the end of the sternum ;
it then doubles on itself and passes up, still on the right side
of the keel, to descend within the thorax in the usual manner.
This duplicature is wanting in the female. These birds are
much hunted for the Brownsville market, though their flesh is
not particularly good, and the body very small for the apparent
size of the bird. Easily domesticated, they become trouble-
somely familiar, and decided nuisances when kept about the
house."

Mr. J. A. Singley says : — " All the nests I found were in
mesquite stubs, where the limbs had been cut off to make
brush-fences. These limbs are never cut close to the tree,
and being close together form a cavity ; leaves and twigs will
fall in this and accumulate, and the bird occupies it as a nest-
ing site. I did not find a nest that I could say was built by
the bird. When the nest is approached the bird quietly flies
off, rarely remaining in sight, and soon calls up its mate."

Mr. George B. Sennett makes the following statement : —
" The chicks are hatched well-coated with down, and they

IHE GUANS. 247

leave the nest as soon as hatched, the old ones leading thcni
into the thickets, where they are very hard to capture. I had
the pleasure, at the ranch, of seeing six hatch under a hen.
The little ones looked and acted exactly like chickens, picking
up the corn-batter thrown to them, running in and out from
under the hen's wings, and jumping upon her back. Four of
the six died within the first two weeks, but the others lived
and thrived. A few are domesticated every yeai .7.t almost
every ranch, and they become inconveniently familiar, getting
about under foot, jumping upon tables, beds, &c."

Mr. G. F. Gaumer, writing from Yucatan about the "Cha-
cha-la-ca," says : — "This bird spends most of its tmie in the
trees, where it lives upon the fruit, flowers, and tender leaves.
Its neutral green plumage renders it very difficult to spy out
the bird. When disturbed it jumps to the ground to ascertain
the nature of its danger, gives one or two long leaps, and again
mounts upon a limb, from which it quickly flies from one
branch to another until it escapes in the distance. In the
male the trachea is wonderfully prolonged beneath the skin
of the breast and abdomen almost to the anus, whence it returns
and enters the chest at the proper place. With the great
trumpet-like instrument the bird makes a peculiar noise, which
may be heard at a league's distance. The song is harsh and
sonorous, and never produced alone ; but after each part the
female, with a finer shriller voice, repeats it in such rapid
succession, that it seems like one bird doing the whole. The
usual time of singing is in the morning and evening, but it
frequently sings at other hours."

Eggs. — Generally three or four in number, occasionally five,
longish ovals ; shell, creamy-white, finely pitted. Measure-
ments, 2-3 by 1-6 inches.

XIV. THE WHITE-VENTED GUAN. ORTALIS LEUCOGASTRA.

Penelope albiventer^ Gould {iiec Wagler), Voy. Sulph. Zool.
p. 48, pi. 31 (1844).

248 Allen's naturalist's library.

Penelope leucogastra^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, p. 105.

Ortalida leucogastra, G. R. Gray, List Gallinoe Brit. Mus.

p. 20 (1844).
Ortalis leucogastra, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.

p. 514(1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Easily distinguished from the two
preceding species by having the under tail-coverts tvhite. Total
length, 20*5 inches; wing, 8*3; tail, 8-5; tarsus, 2-3; middle
toe and claw, 2-3.

Eange. — Central America ; Nicaragua, Salvador, and the
Pacific slope of Guatemala.

Eabits. — Mr. Salvin says : — " This Guan is very abundant in
the Pacific coast region, where in the neighbourhood of the
more remote and smaller villages, the woods in the early morn-
ing resound with its loud continued cries. It is usually seen in
trees, and shows little symptom of alarm on one approaching.
Thetime of breeding seems to extend over some period, as
young birds and fresh eggs were observed simultaneously in
the month of March. The former appear to run almost
immediately on becoming free from the shell, and, clinging
to the branches of the underwood, are nimble in eluding
capture."

Nest.— Is usually placed in a low bush, and is composed
entirely of small twigs.

Eggs. — Two in number and of a rough texture ; pure creamy-
v;hite in colour. Measurements, 1*5 by i'25 inch.

B . — Outer primal J flight-feathers cJiestniit.

XV. THE CHESTNUT-WINGED GUAN. ORTALIS GARRULA.

Phasiamis garnihis, Humb. Obs. de Zool. i. p. 4 (i8ir).
Penelope gar rul a, Wng'er, Isis, 1830, p. 11 11.
Ortalida gar ml a, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Ortalis garrula, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 515
(1893).

THE GUANS. 249

Adult Female. — Top of the head and nape dull cJiesi)iut ; rest
of the upper-parts greyish-olive ; chest olive-grey, shading into
white on the rest of the under-parls ; the five outer pairs of
tail-feathers tipped tvith ivJiite or pale bupf. Total length,
22 inches; wing, 8-8; tail, 96; tarsus 2-8; middle toe
and claw, 27.

The plumage in the male and female is probably similar,
but no male example, in which the sex has been ascertained,
has been examined.

Range. — Northern South America ; the coast region of the
United States of Colombia, and near Caracas, Venezuela.

XVI. THE GREY-HEADED CHESTNUT-Vv^INGED GUAN.
ORTALIS CINEREICEPS.

Ortalida polwcep/iala, Auct. {nee Wagler).

Ortalida ci/iereiceps, G. R. Gray, List Gallinae Brit. Mus. p. 12

(1867).

Ortalida franizii, Cabanis, J. f. O. 1869, p. 211.
Orialis cinereiceps, Richmond, P. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 523
(1893); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 515

(1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Similar to O. garruia, but the head
and nape are dark grey. Total length, 22 inches; wing, 8-5;
tail, 87; tarsus, 2 '8; middle toe and claw, 2 •6.

Range. — Central America; Costa Rica, Veragua, Panama,
to the United States of Colombia.

Habits. — Dr. Von Frantzius writes that this bird is " univer-
sally called ' Chachalaca,' and is spread over the whole of the
high plateau, particularly in open places near the forest."

XVII. THE ECUADOR CHESTNUT-WINGED GUAN.
ORTALIS ERYTHROPTERA.

Ortalida erythropiera, Natterer MS.; Licht. Nomencl. p. 87
(1854) [dcscr. nulla]; Sclater and Salvin, P. Z. S. 1870,
p. 540.

250 ALLEN S NATURALLSTS L1J]RARV.

Orialis oythropkra^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.
p. 516 (1893).

Adult. — Easily distinguished from the two preceding species
by having the four outer pairs of tail-feathers widely tipped
with dark cJiestiiut. From O. garrula, which it otherwise
resembles, it may be further distinguished by having the top
of the head and nape brighter chestnut, and the ujider tail-
coverts of a paler chestnut colour. Total length, 24 inches ;
wing, 9-2 ; tail, io-6; tarsus, 3*1 ; middle toe and claw, 3-1.

Range. — North-western South America ; Babahoyo, Guaya-
quil, and Palmal, Western Ecuador. ? Cumana, Venezuela.

THE PIPING GUANS. GENUS PIPILE.
Pipile, Bonap, C. R. xHi. p. 877 (1856).
Type, P. cumajiensis (Jacquin).

The width of the upper mandible greater than the height.

Sexes similar in plumage. A well-developed crest of pointed
feathers. A large patch round the eyes naked. Front of the
neck almost naked, with a median 7vattle.

Tail composed of tivelve feathers, rather long and rounded,
the outer pair being distinctly shorter than the middle pair.

Tivo outer primary flight feat hers with the last third of the
inner web deeply excised. The first much shortir than the
second, which is about equal to the tenth ; sixth slightly the
longest.

Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw.

L THE WHITE-HEADED PIPING GUAN. PIPILE CUMANENSIS.

Crax cumanensis, Jacquin, Beytr. p. 25, pi. 10 (1784).

Crfljc /////(?, Jacquin, Beytr. p. 26, pi. 11 (1784).

Penelope leticolophos, Merrem, Av. Icones et Descr. ii. pp. 43,

44. pi. 12 (1786); id. Beytr. Vog. n. pp. 46, 47, pi. 12

(1786).

THE PIPING GUANS. 25 1

Penelope cumanensis and P. pipile, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 734

(178S); J. E. (iray, Knowsl. Menag. ii. pi. 10(1846).
Pipik cumanensis, Bonap. ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. 13. Brit. Mus.

xxii. p. 517(1893)-
Pipile nattereri, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 154 (1862).
Penelope jacquinii, G. R. Gray, List Gallince Brit. Mus. p. 8

(1867).
Penelope gray i, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 284 (1870).

Adult Male and Female. — Top of the head and crest ivhite.
General colour above black, glossed ^Yith dark green ; the
first six or seven oilier secondary cover/s white on both webs,
except the tips, which are black glossed with green ; some
of the feathers of the chest and breast margined with
white.

Afale: Total length, 30 inches: wing, 13-2; tail, 11-5;
tarsus, 2-5 ; middle toe and claw, 26.

Female: Smaller; wing, 12-6 inches.

Range.— South America : British Guiana, Venezuela, Trini-
dad, United States of Colombia ; Rio Negro, Upper Amazons ;
Rio Napo, Ecuador ; Eastern Peru, Bohvia ; and Matto Grosso
in Brazil.

II. THE BLACK-FRONTED PIPING GUAN. PIPILE JACUTINGA.

Penelope jacutinga, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 53, pi. 70 (1S25).
Penelope nigrifrons, Temm. MS. ; Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 482

Penelope leucoptera, Neuwied. Beitr. Nat. Bras. iv. p. 544 (1832).
Pipile jaciitinga, Sclater and Salvin, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 530;
Meyer, Vogel-Skel, pt. xiv. pi. cxxxvii (1890); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 518 (1893).
Adult Male and Female. — General colour above brownish-black
glossed with purple ; forehead and eyebrow-stripes black ; crest
white with black shafts ; outer webs only of the secondary
coverts white ; chin and upper part of throat covered with

252 Allen's naturalist's library.

black feathers; naked space round the eye much smaller
than in P. cuniajiensis and the white margins to the feathers
of the breast more strongly marked. Total length, 30
inches; vring, 13; tail, 11 '5; tarsus, 2-5; middle toe and
claw, 27.

Range. — Eastern South America : Bahia, Sao Paulo, Rio de
Janeiro, Rio Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraguay.

Habits. — Plerr Bischoff, writing from Arroio Grande, says that
the Jacutinga is a migratory bird, arriving there in May and
June in flocks of from four to sixteen individuals. It nests in
trees, selecting a part of the stem where three or four branches
arise, and depositing its eggs in this natural hollow without any
lining or attempt at a nest. . . . He once had the oppor-
tunity of observing the nesting habits of the Jacutinga, and
both the male and female appeared to take part in the
incubation. The j^oung were hatched in November, and could
soon not only follow their parents, but fly. In December
they depart from Arroio Grande. They cannot be domes-
ticated, for they are most pugnacious and kill poultry.

From Prince Maximilian of Neuwied's excellent work* we
learn that the "Jacutinga" is met with only in the more
secluded parts of the vast forests, and is generally found
singly or in pairs. Its habits are similar to those of the
Jacupemba {Penelope suterciliaris)^ but its call is short and
shrill, and so far as he recollected the trachea is more highly
developed. It can be tamed and soon becomes quite domes-
ticated, while, in the interior of the forest, its flesh is a
valuable addition to the larder. Unlike the Jacupemba, it
is never to be seen near the sea coast, and its food appears
to consist of fruits and insects, judging from the remains found
inthe crop of specimens examined.

The Indians use the large strong tail-feathers to make
wings for their arrows.

* Beitr. Nat. Bras. iv. p. 544 (1832).

THE WATTLED GUANS. 253

i!<e3t. — A nest found in the month of February was placed in
a tree, and com[)osed of twigs. As will be seen above, it
would appear that in some cases no nest is made.

Eggs. — Two or three in number ; white, and as large as those
of a Turkey.

III. THE AMAZONIAN PIPING GUAN. PIPILE CUJUPI.

Yacon Turkey^ Latham, Gen. Syn. ii. pt. ii. p. 68i, pi. Ixi (1783).
Fenelope cujubi, Natterer MS. ; Pelz, SB. Ak. Wien, xxxi.

p. 328 (1858) ; id. Orn. Bras. p. 284 (1870).
Fipile cujubi, Reichenb. Tauben, p. 153 (1862) ; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 519 (1893).

Adult Male and Female. — Like P. jacutinga^ the general colour
of the upper-parts is brownish-black, glossed with purple, but
the feathers of the crest are dark brown, edged with white;
the chin and throat almost naked ; and the outer webs of the
secondary coverts dark broiun^ margined with white.

Male: Total length, 30 inches; wing, 13*5; tail, 11*5;
tarsus, 2*55 ; middle toe and claw, 27

Female: Smaller; wing, 127 inches.

Range. — North-eastern South America ; Lower Amazons and
Para.

THE WATTLED GUANS. GENUS ABURRIA.

Abiirria, Reichenb. Nat. Syst. Vogel, p. xxvi. (1852).

Type, A. abiirri (Less.).

Sexes similar to one another in plumage.

The width of the upper mandible greater than the height.
Fore part of neck mostly feathered^ with a long vermiform
tvattle. Only a small naked space below the eye. Tail com-
posed of twelve feathers.

Fi?'st three primary quills deeply excised at the extremity, the

254 Allen's naturalist's library.

fourth less so. First primary much shorter than the second;
fourth equal to the tenth, and the sixth slightly the longest.
Tarsus lon2;er than the middle toe and claw.

r. THE black wattled guan. aburria aeurri.

Penelope abiirri, Lesson, Diet. Sci. Nat. lix. p. 191 (1829).
Aburria cariniculata, Reichenb. Syst. Av. p. xxvi.(i852);Tacza

nowski, Orn. Perou. iii. p. 277 (1886).
Almr7'ia aburri, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 520

(1893).
Adult Male and Female. — Whole plumage black, glossed with
dark green. Total length, 29 inches; wing, t4-i4"5 ; tail, 12;
tarsus, 27 ; middle toe and claw, 2*9.

Range. — Western South America ; the interior of the United
States of Colombia, Ecuador, and Northern Peru.

Mr. J. Stolzmann found the Black Wattled Guan very com-
mon at Tambillo, but it appeared to become scarcer to the east
of the Maranon,and much wilder in the Amazon District. At
Tambillo it is most common in the valley, and becomes rarer
as the higher altitudes are reached, where its place is taken by
Pe?ieIope sclateri^ though it was obtained at an elevation of
7,000 feet. At Huambo it was decidedly scarce.

" Its cry," he says, " is the most curious that I have heard. It
begins with a note repeated several times, resembling the sound
of a trumpet, ascending in semi-tones that can only be heard
when one is close at hand. Then it gives vent to a very loud
guttural cry, which begins in a low key, and, gradually ascending
in quick time to a high note, again descends. This cry reminds
one of that of the Crane. As a rule it flies without making any
noise, so much so, indeed, that it frequently escapes unob-
served. Its cry is most often heard in the nesting-season, that
is, between the months of September and February ; and when
calling it remains stationary and in a crouching position. The

THE SICKT.E-WINGED CUANS. 255

female defends her young with great spirit ; for one day, while
traversing the forest, a female of this species attempted to stop
me, passing so close that I could almost have caught her in my
hand; then with loud cries, having attacked my dog, almost strik-
ing him with her wings, she took up a position on a neigh-
bouring tree. It was not till I had shot her that I perceived
that she had been defending her young, for on searching about
I soon discovered her empty nest, and next day found one of
her chicks in the same neighbourhood.

" During moonlight nights one often hears their strange
cries. At Cococh6 they are hunted on such nights, for at
other times they are very wild, and their flesh is much
esteemed. They feed on the ground, and, when the fruits
of the " Nectardes " are ripe, feed principally on them.

"One generally finds these birds singly or in pairs, and I have
only once met with a flock of a dozen birds. The inhabitants
usually call this bird Pava negra, a name applied to Fipile at
Moyobamba, where the Aburri receives the name 'Uante.'
When only winged, these birds run so quickly that they are
frequently lost to the sportsman."

Nest. — Placed on the top of a low tree, and principally com-
posed of sticks and leaves.

Eggs. — Usually two in number. Broad ovals ; shell pure
white, grained. Measurements, 2-65 by 2 inches.

THE SICKLE-WINGED GUANS. GENUS CIIAM/EPETES.

ChamcEj^etes, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1227.
Type, C. goiidoti (Less.).

Sexes similar in plumage.

The width of the upper mandible greater than the height.
The fore-part of the neck, as well as the chin and throat, entirely
feathered. No wattle. A nailed space round the eye.

256 ALLEN'S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

Tail composed of twelve feathers, long and rounded, the
outer pair being a good deal shorter than the middle pair.

The two outer primary flight-feathers deeply excised at the
extremity, and the third less so. First primary much shorter
than the second ; fourth about equal to the tenth ; sixth or
seventh slightly the longest.

Tarsus slightly shorter than the middle toe and claw.

L THE RUFOUS-EREASTED SICKLE-WINGED GUAN.
CHAM.EPETES GOUDOTI.

Ortalida goudotii, Lesson, Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 217 (1828).
Charncfpetes goudotii, Wagler, Isis, 1S32, p. 1227; Ogilvic-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 521 (1893).
Pefielope rufiventris, Tschudi, Wiegm. Arch. 1843, p. 386.
Chamcepetes tschudii, Taczanowski, Orn. Perou, iii. p. 275

(1886).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour above hro-ivnish^
glossed with bronze-green ; the lower chest cinnamon shading
into rufous on the breast, and chestnut on the flanks. Total
length, 24 inches; wing, 10-2; tail, 10; tarsus, 2-6; middle
toe and claw, 27.

Eange. — Western South America. Interior of the United
States of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Habits — Mr. J. Stolzmann writes : — " I only found this Guan
east of the IVIaranon ; it is not met with in the provinces of
Chota and Jaen. At Tamia-pampa it occurs up to an eleva-
tion of 9,000 feet, and I was told that it is also to be found at
Huambo, but is rare in that locality. It is most common at
an elevation of about 6,000 feet. In the Amazon district it is
known under the name of ' Pischa' "

Eggs. — Perfectly oval; shell pure white, rather glossy and
very finely pitted. Measurements, 275 by i"95 inches.

THE HOATZINS.

^57

ir. THE BLACK-BREASTED SICKLE-WINGED GUAN.
CHAM/EPETES UNICOLOR.

Chamo'petes unicolor, Salvin, P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 159, 160;
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 522 (1893).
Adult Male and Female. — General colour above blacky glo.ssed
VN'ith dark green; under-parts .similar, but browner on the
belly, and generally indi.stinctly mottled with pale rufou.s-buff.
Total length, 25 inches; wing, 11 to 117; tail, 10-5; tardus,
27 ; middle toe and claw, 2-85.

Range.— Central America; Costa Rica and Veragua.

Habits. — The following note is taken from Dr. v. Frant/ius*
paper ("Journal fur Ornithologie," 1869, p. 372): — "This
species, locally known as the Galli)ia voIca?iica has, up to
the present time, only been obtained on the slopes of Irazu,
where it is very common, especially near Rancho Redondo
and La Raima. It is often brought into the towns to be sold,
and is most frequently shot at the end of the rainy season,
as it then leaves the thick forests on the hills and visits the
lower-lying and less densely-wooded parts."

THE HOATZINS. ORDER OPISTHOCOMI.

Although only a single species comprises this Order, the
structure of the skeleton presents so many important peculiari-
ties that the Hoatzin can only be placed in an isolated posi-
tion. The modifications of the alimentary tract are almost as
remarkable as the skeletal characters.

With regard to the latter, Professor Huxley says that it
" resembles the ordinary gallinaceous birds and pigeons more
than it does any others, and when it diverges from them it is
either sui generis, or approaches the Musophagidce'' The
latter group, known as the Touracous, and the Cuckoos
{Cuculidct\ are, according to the late Professor Garrod,
nearly allied.

12 s

258 Allen's naturalist's library.

Among other peculiar skeletal characters may be mentioned
the schizognathoiis palate, the absence of basipterygoid pro-
cesses {cf. vol. i. p. T, fig. i), the shape of the dorsal ver-
tebrae and the sternum. The shape of the latter is unique,
the lateral edges being nearly parallel for about two-thirds of
their length, then diverging so that the sternum is wider pos-
teriorly than anteriorly. There are two small notches on either
side of the posterior margin, the outer being reduced to a
foramen. The kel of the sternum is very small, and cut
away in front with a flattened out and broadened surface at
the posterior termination. On this flattened surface the
greater part of the weight of the body is supported when
the bird is at rest. The bones of the shoulder girdle — the
coracoids, clavicles, and furcula — are completely joined (anchy-
losed) to one another and to the sternum.

The crop is enormous, and occupies the upper part of the
chest, distorting the furcula and sternum ; it is placed in a
deep cavity in the upper half of the pectoral muscles.

The hind toe, or hallux, is very long.

The first secondary quill is not much shorter than the
second.

The oil-gland is tufted.

The young are hatched naked, the thumb and first finger
being provided with claws which enable them to climb and
grasp the branches soon after they are hatched ; the bill, as
well as the legs and wings, being used for a similar purpose.
They are able to swim and dive with facility, when compelled
to do so.

The eggs are double-spotted and remarkably Rail-like.

FAMILY OPISTHOCOMID^.

THE HOATZINS. GENUS OPISTIIOCOMUS.

Opisthocomits, IHiger, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. et Av. p. 239

(1811).

Type, O. hoazi?i (Miill).

THE H0ATZIN3. 259

Sexes similar in plumage.

An elongate crest of rather stifT-sbaftcd feathers sides of
the head mostly naked.

Tail composed of ten feathers, elongate and rounded ; the
middle pair considerably longer than the outer pair.

First primary flight-feather much shorter than the second,
which is shorter than the tenth ; sixth to eighth longest.

Fifth secondary quill present.

Tarsus with reticulated scales, shorter than the middle toe
and claw.

I. THE IIOATZIN. OnSTHOCOMUS HOAZIN.

PJiasianus hoazin^ Miill. S. N. Suppl. p. 125 (1776).

Crested Pheascmt^ Latham, Gen. Syn. ii. pt. ii. p. 720, pi. Ixlv.

(1783).
Phasianus cristatus^ Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 741 (1788).
Opisthocomus hoatzin^ Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 193

(1819).
Opisthocomus cristatics, L'Herminier, C. R. v. p. 433 (1837);

G. R. Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 396, pi. xcvii. (1845); Huxley,

P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 435, 460, 1868, p. 304 [skeleton], fig. 4,

pi. xcviii. (1845) ; Cabanis, J. f. O. 1870, p. 318, pi. i. fig. 3

[egg]; Perrin, Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 353, pis. 63-66 (1875);

Garrod, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 109 [anatomy] ; Quelch, Ibis.

1890, p. 327 [habits]; Parker, Trans. Zool. Soc. xiii. pp.

43-86, pis. vii.-x. (1891); Gadow, P. R. Irish. Ac. (3) ii.

p. 147, pis. vii. viii. (1892).
Opisthocomus hoazin, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.

p. 524(1893).

Adult Male and Female. — General colour above dark brown
glossed with olive ; fore part of the head reddish-brown ; long
crest-feathers mostly dark brown ; feathers on the back of the
neck and mantle similar, but the former with buff and the latter
with white shaft-stripes ; the shoulder-feathers and wing-coverts
either margined or tipped with white ; quills chestnut-brown ;

s z

26o ALLEN 3 NATURALIST S LIBRARY.

iinder-parts pale buff, shading into chestnut on the sides and
belly ; tail-feathers widely tipped with pale buff. Total length,
23 inches; wing, i2-4-i2-6; tail, ii-4-i2-4; tarsus, r9-2-2 ;
middle toe and claw, 1-9.

Kange South America; Surinam to the United States of

Colombia, and southwards to Bolivia.

HaMts. — Mr. J. J. Quelch says: — "The Hoatzin is known
in British Guiana by the various names of ' Anna,' ' Hanna,'
'Canje, or Stinking Pheasant,' and 'Govenor Battenberg's
Turkeys ' ; but in the districts where it is found, the name of
' Hanna ' is the one most commonly used. . . .

" In the early morning or in the late afternoon they will be
seen sitting in numbers on the plants, while towards the middle
of the day, as the fierce heat of the sun increases, they betake
themselves to shelter, either in the denser recesses of the
growths, or among the individual trees of denser foliage, or
among the tangled masses of creeping and climbing vines,
which frequently spread over considerable areas of their food-
plants along the very edge of the water. . . . Late in
the evening, after feeding, they will be seen settling themselves
down in suitable places for the night.

*' The cry of the Hoatzins is easily heard when they are dis-
turbed, and it is one of which it is not easy to give an exact
idea. It recalls slightly the shrill screech of the Guinea-bird
{Niimida)^ but it is made up of disjointed utterances, like the
notes ' heigh ' or ' sheigh ' {ei as in sleigh), pronounced with a
peculiarly sharp and shrill nasal intonation, so as to be quite
a 'hiss.' While they are treading, the noise made is
considerable, the cry being more continuous and shriek-
like. . . .

" The nesting-time of the birds certainly extends from
December to July, and I think it very likely that it is con-
tinuous throughout the year. . ,

" The nests, which are made solely of a slightly concave

THE HOATZINS. 261

mass of dried twigs and sticks taken from the plants on wliicli
they are built, and loosely laid on top and across each other,
are placed in C()nsi)icuons positions high up over the water or
soft mud, on the top of or amongst the bushy growth, where
they are fully exposed to the direct sunshine. Almost invari-
ably the plants thus built on were the close-cjrowin[< ' Bun-
doorie pimpler,' though in a few cases I have seen them on
the Courida, and on a Pimpler (or prickly) palm [Bac/ris
j/iajo?').

" From the binding nature of the spiny twigs, the nests last
for a considerable time, and these are certainly made use of
again, possibly after more or less repair. The same nest has
been found in use after an interval of seven months.

"Two or three eggs are laid in a nest, both numbers being
about equally common in my experience, and in one special
case six eggs were taken from a nest on which one bird had
been sitting, but whether they had been laid by one or two
birds there was nothing to show. The eggs are easily seen
from beneath the nest, owing to its loose structure. , . .
Even while the birds are sitting on them the eggs must be kept
fairly cool from below ; and this evidently gives the explana-
tion why a number of freshly-laid eggs that were placed to be
hatched out by a common fowl exploded one after another,
much to the alarm of the foster-parent, who, however, stuck to
the nest witli the remainder after each occurrence.

" Soon after the hatching of the eggs, the nestlings begin to
crawl about by means of their wings and legs, the well-
developed claws on the pollex and index being constantly in
use for holding and hooking on to the surrounding objects.
If they are drawn from the nest by means of their legs they
hold on firmly to the twngs both by their bill and wings.
When the parent bird is driven from the nest owing to the
close approach of a boat, the young birds, unless they are
only quite recently hatched, crawl out of the nests on all fours,
and rapidly try to hide in the thicker bush behind.

262 Allen's naturalist's library.

" One curious feature noticed with a nestling, which had
been upset into the river, was its power of rapid swimming
and diving, when pursued. As soon as the hand was placed
close to it, it rapidly dived into the dark water, in which it was
impossible to see it, and would rise at distances of more than
a yard away. Owing to this power the little creature managed
to evade all my attempts to seize it, taking a refuge eventually
far under the bushy growth, where it was impossible to pursue
it. The prolonged immersion which a nestling will thus
instinctively and voluntarily undergo, or which an adult bird
will bear in an attempt to drown it, seems to me quite remark-
able."

Nest. — Described above.

Eggs. — Two appears to be the general number laid, or, in
some cases, three. As many as six are recorded in a single
instance, probably the result of two birds laying in the same
nest. Oval in shape, and remarkably like those of the Com-
mon Corn-crake. Ground colour pale buff or stone colour,
marked with pale cloudy violet undermarkings and reddish-
brown surface spots. Average measurements. i*8 by 13
inch.

THREE-TOED QUAILS AND PLAIN-WANDERERS.
ORDER HEMIPODIL

The small Quail-like birds comprising this Order occupy a
somewhat isolated position, and are not really very closely
allied to the Gallinaceous birds, though, perhaps, nearer to them
than to any other group. Some of their characteristics show a
marked affinity to the Rails, and on the whole the most natural
position for the Hemipodii appears to be one between these
two great Orders of birds.

Among the important skeletal characters may be noted the
folio wine; :--

rilREE-TOEb OR BUSTARD-QUAILS. 263

111 the skull the maxillo-palatine bones are not coalesced
with one another, nor with the vomer (see vol. i. p. i, fig. i) ;
the nasals are schizorhinal (fig. 2). The verte])r?e are peculiar
in shape, and of the f jrm known as heterocalous. There is a
deep notch on each side of the posterior margin of the
sternum, extending for about two-thirds of its entire length,
and the well-developed episternal process is incompletely per-
forated to receive the bases of the coracoid bones, which are
only separated by a thin bony septum.

Bill like that of the Gal/i/ics, but often not so strongly
developed.

Feet generally with three toes only, the hind toe, or hallux,
being absent, except in Fgdiomvnus, which possess a rudimen-
tary hind toe.

Oil-gland tufted.

Tail very short, composed of soft feathers scarcely to be
distinguished from the longer upper tail-coverts.

The first secondary quill not much shorter than the second,
and the fifth present.

The young hatched covered with down, and able to run soon
after they are h.atched.

Eggs double-spotted, and three to five in number.

One of the great peculiarities of this group is the fact that
the female is always larger and generally more handsomely
marked than the male, and the latter in the majority of species,
probably in all, incubates the eggs and tends the yoi'.iig.

FAMILY TURNICID/E.

THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAILS. GENUS TURNIX.

Turnix^ Bonnat. Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. pp. Ixxxii. 5 (1890).

Type, T. sylvatica (Desf ).

Hind ioe^ or hallux^ abse?it.

In all the birds of this genus there is a general tendency to
uniformity of coloration in the plumage of the upper surface of

264 ALLEN S naturalist's LIHRAKY.

very old examples ; the bars, spots, and markings gradually
disappearing with age.

To facilitate identification the twenty- one species and two
sub-species comprising this genus may be divided as follows : —
I. Leg (metatarsus) longer than the middle toe and claw.
A. Entire breast transversely barred wUh black ; belly
immaculate; sexes different in plumage.

a. Chin and throat black or barred with black

(females).
^. Chin and throat white, the feathers on the
sides narrowly edged with black (males)
(species i to 4, pp. 265-270).
/>. Middle of breast not transversely barred with black ;
throat never black. (Plumage of sexes similar in one
group, but slightly different in the other section.)

c. Middle feathers of the tail lengthened,

pointed a id edged with white or buff.
</\ Peathers of the mantle and back
edged with white or buff, giving the
back a scaly appearance. Plumage
of sexes practically similar.
rJ-. Middle of breast and belly, imma-
culate ; sides spotted or barrtd
with black (species 5-7, pp.
270-275).
l>^: Middle of breast and belly with
round black spots on most of
the feathers (species 8, p. 275).
d'. Feathers of the mantle and back prac-
tically uniform (species 9, p. 276).

d. Middle tail-feathers not lengthened and

pointed, nor edged with white or buff;
feathers of the back without any scaly
appearance. Sexes somewhat different in
plumage.

TIIRKE-TOED OR DUSTARD QUAILS. 265

<:'. Shoulder - feathers not edged w'ah
golden-biifir. (Females with a well-
defined rufous collar; males with-
out) (species 10 to 12, pp. 277-280).

d\ Shoulder-feathers edged with golden-
buff (species 13 to 15, pp;. 281-282).

C. Neck and breast uniform bright rufous; upper tail-
coverts very long, entirely covering the true tail
(species i6, p. 283).

II. I.eg (metatarsus) equal to or shorter than the middle
toe and claw. Bill very stout in some species (species 17
to 22, pp. 284-289).

I. Tarsus longer than the middh toe and chm\

A. Entire l^reast transversely Ihirred with black; belly
imniaailate ; sexes different in plumage ; ?niddle of
chin and throat black, or barred with black in the
females, white in the males.

I. THE DUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIK TAIGOOR.

Hem i Ml ins taigoor, Sykes, P. Z S. 1832, p. 155 ; id. Trans. Z.

S, ii. p. 23, pi. iv. (1841).
Ilemipodius pliimbipes, Hodgson, Bengal Sport. Mag. May,

1837, P 346.
Tin nix ocellaius, Jerdon {^nec Scop.), B. Ind. ii. p. 597 (1864).
Turnix taigoor, Jerdon, B. India, ii. p. 595(1864); Hume &

Marshall, Game Birds of Ind. ii. p. 169, pi. (1879) ; Gates,

ed. Hume's Nests & Eggs, Ind. B. iii. p. 367 (1890);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 531 (1893),
Tu7'nix 7-ostrata, Swinhoe, Ibis. 1865, p. 543.
Areotiir?iix blakistoni, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 401.
Turnix plunibipes, Hume & Marshall, Game Birds Ind. ii. p.

177,, pi. (1S79).

Adult Male. — Chin and throat white, narrowly edged with

266 ai.i,en's naturalist's library.

black on the sides only ; chest barred with black and buff ;
belly and thighs rufous; upper-parts rufous or brown; no
rufous nuchal collar contrasting 7vith the colour of the back.
Total length, 5*6 inches; wing, 3'i ; tail, 1*2; tarsus, o"85.

Adult Female. — Chin and throat (and in very old examples the
middle of the chest) black ; no rufous collar round the back
of the neck contrasting with the back. General colour above
rufous or greyish-brown or any intermediate colour (the colour
varying according to the amount of rainfall in the district
where the individual occurs, the most rufous forms being
found in the more arid localities where the rainfall is small),
mottled with black and more or less margined with pale buff.
Total length, 67 inches; wing, t,'^ ', tail, 1*2 ; tarsus, 0-95.

Range. — India and Northern Ceylon ; extending eastward of
the Bay of Bengal through Burma and Tenasserim to the
Malay Peninsula, Siain, China, Formosa, and the Liu Kiu
Islands.

Habits.— Mr. A. C). Hume writes: — "Scrub jungle, inter-
mixed with patches of moderately high grass or dry ground,
is perhaps the natural home of this species ; but it may
be met with anywhere in low bush jungle and on the skirts
of forests, and in inhabited districts it greatly affects
gardens, grass preserves, and sinn'lar enclosures. It strays
into stubble and low crops in the mornings and evenings, even
remaining in these at times throughout the day, but more
generally retreating during the hotter noontide hours to the
cover of some thorny bush or patch of grass upon their margins.

" Where the country is very arid, as in most parts of
Rajputana and many places in the North-Western Provinces,
this species is scarcely seen except during the rainy season;
and again, it is almost unknown in densely cultivated and
populated tracts where there is no jungle and no long grass.
I have invariably seen it singly or in pairs, and only rarely in
the latter ; never in parties or bevies of five or six, as Jerdon
says.

THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAIT.?;. 267

" Small millets, grass seeds, ants, white and black, and other
small grains and insects constitute its food. It feeds almost
exclusively in the early mornings and near sunset. At these
times it may be seen running about along the paths of gardens
or other enclosures, amongst isolated tufts of grass, on the
margins of clumps of stunted jujube, and in the edges of low
crops, and even in short stubbles, if these occur in the neigh-
bourhood of suitable cover.

" It is a very silent bird, and except during the breeding season,
I have never once heard it call ; at that time the females emit a
dull note, scarcely likely to attract attention unless you are on
the look out for it. I have occasionally heard and noticed it,
but not often.

"The most remarkable point in the life-history of these
Bustard-Quails is the extraordinary fashion in which amongst
them the position of the sexes is reversed. The females are
the larger and handsomer birds. The females only call, the
females only fight — natives say that they fight for the males,
and probably this is true. What is certain is that, whereas in
the case of almost all the other Game Birds it is the males
alone that can be caught in spring cages, &c., to which they
are attracted by the calls of other males, and to which they
come in view to fighting, in this species no male will ever
come to a cage baited with a male, whereas every female within
hearing rushes to a cage in which a female is confined, and if
allowed to meet during the breeding-season, any tw^o females
will fight until one or other is dead or nearly so.

" The males, and the males only, as we have now proved in
numberless cases, sit upon the eggs, the females meanwhile
larking about, calling and fighting, without any care for their
obedient mates ; and lastly, the males, and the males only, J
believe, tend and are to be flushed along with the young
brood.

" Ahiiost throughout the higher sections of tne animal king-
dom you have the males fighting for the females, the females

268 Allen's naturalist's library.

caring for the young; here, in one insignificant little group of
tiny birds, you have the ladies fighting duels to preserve the
chastity of their husbands, and these latter sitting meekly in
the nursery and tending the young."

Colonel Butler writes: — "I found a nest containing four
fresh eggs near Deesa on the 9th August. I laid a horse-hair
noose on eacli side of the tuft of grass under which it was
placed, and on returning to the spot about a quarter of an
hour later, I found the cock bird snared and sitting upon the
eggs, probably not knowing that he was caught, as he did not
move off the eggs until I frightened him."

Nest.— A slight hollow in the ground lined with dry grass
and sheltered by an overhanging tuft of grass, &c.

Eggs — Three or four in number ; pyriform ; ground colour
dirty white with pale lilac under-markings densely covered with
brown and yellow specks and with some larger black blotches.
Average measurements, 0*93 by 079 inch.

SUB-SP. A. THE island BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX PUGNAX.

Hemipodiiis pugnax, Temm. Pig. et Gall. lii. pp. 612, 754

(1815)-
Tiirnix pugnax, Blyth, Ibis. 1867, p. 309; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat.

B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 534 (1893). •

Adult Male. — Similar to male of T. taigoor.

Adult Female. — Chin and throat black, but differs chiefly from
the female of T. taigoor in having a fairly defitied rufous collar
round the back of the neck contrasting with the colour of the
back, in this respect approaching T. fasciata from the Philip-
pine Islands. Total length, 6-6 inches ; wing, 3-5 ; tail, r2 ;
tarsus, I.

Range. — South-Western Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, and Billiton.

II. THE PHILIPPINE BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX FASCIATA.

Hemipodius fasciatus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 634, 757
(1815).

TIIREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAILS. 269

Tuniix 7ir^rescefis, Twecddale, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 765.
Turnix /layjia/di, Blasiiis, Ornis. iv. p. 317 (1888).
Tur?iix fasciata^ Ogilvic-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 535
(1893).
Adult Male. — Chin and throat whife, narrowly edged with
black on the sides only ; chest barred with black and iutff ; no
rufous nuchal collar contrast ing with the colour of the back
and upper parts, which resemble those of the female. Total
length, 5*2 inches; wing, 3 ; tail, I'l ; tarsus, 0-9.

Adult Pemale. — Chin and throat black ; but may be dis-
tinguished from the females of the two previously-described
forms by having a well-defined rufous collar round the back of
the neck, contrasting itn'th the colour of the back and rest of
the upper-parts, which are mostly black, finely mottled with
grey and mixed here and there with rufous. Total length,
6 inches; wing, 3*4; tail, I'l ; tarsus, i.

Range. — Philippine Islands.

III.* THE CELEBEAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX RUFIEATUS.

Turnix fasciatus, Gould (;/^^- Temm.), Birds of Asia, vii. pi. 11

(1861).
Turfiix rufilatus, Wallace, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 480; Ogilvie-

Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 536 (1893).

Adult Male. — Chin and throat white, narrowly edged with
black on the sides only; chest barred with black and white;
sides of the belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts rufous. Total
length, 5-6 inches; wing, 3*4; tail, ri; tarsus, 0-95.

Adult Pemale. — Chin and throat white, barred with black, like
the breast ; sides of the belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts
rufous , general colour above v;arm brown, greyish on the
mantle, and inclinmg to rufous on the rump, all finely mottled
with black ; wings as m T. taigoor. Total length, d'd inches ;
wing, 3'6; tail, 1-3; tarsus, i*i.

Eange. — Confined to the island of Celebes.

270 Allen's naturalist's library.

iv. the sumbawa bustard-quail. turnix powelli.

'Furnix powelli, Guillemard, P. Z. S. 1885, p. 510, pi. xxix. ;
Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 537 (1S93).

Adult Male. — As in the male of T. rujilatns, the chin and
ihroat white, the sides only narro7vly edited with black; the chest
barred with black and ivliite. Distinguished by the absence
of rufous on the belly, thighs, and under tail coverts.

AdiTlt Female.' — Chin and throat white^ barred with black like
the breast ; but distinguished from the female of T. rufilatus
by the entire absence of rufous on the sides of the belly, thighs,
and under tail-coverts, which are whitish.

Range. — Gunong Api Island, Sumbawa.

B. Middle of the breast not transversely barred with black ;
throat never black ; middle tail-feathers lengthe/ied^
pointed and edged with white or buff ; feathers of the
upper-parts edged with ivhite or buff, givifig the back a
scaly appeara7ice.

V. THE ANDALUSIAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX SYLVATICA.

Tetrao sylvaticiis^ Desfontaines, Mem. Ac. R. Sc. Paris, 1787,

p. 500, pi. xiii.
Tetrao andalusicus and T. gibraltaricus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p,

766 (1788).
Turnix africanus, Bonn. Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. p. 6 (1791).
Heinipodius tachydro;;i!is, Temm. ; Gould, B. Europe, iv. p. 264

ph(i837).
Hemipodius hmatus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 629, 756

(1815)-
Turnix sylvaticus, Dresser, B. Europe, vii. p. 249, pi. 494
(1876); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 537
(1893) ; Irby, Orn. Gibraltar, 2nd ed. p. 241, pi.

(1895)-
Adult Male and Female — Distinguished from the following

THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAILS. ?7l

species by havinjj; the shoulder-feathers margined with white or
whitish grey ; sides of the breast /^z/d buff^ contrasting strongly
with the uniform rust-red centre, each feather with a heart-
shaped black spot near the extremity; general colour above dull
light red. Size larger.

In the female the nape is generally nearly unifoini dull light
red, while in the male tiie scale-like margins to the feathers
extend to the back of the head.

Male: Total length, 6 inches ; wing, 3-1; tail, 1-5; tarsus
0-85.

Female: Total length, 7 inches; wing, 37; ta'l, I'S; tarsus
0-9.

Eange. — Southern Europe and North Africa.

Habits. — In the vicinity of Tangier the Andalusian Bustard-
Quail appears to be both resident and migratory, those which
migrate passing northwards during May and June, and return-
ing in September and October.

Colonel Irby writes : — " Near Gibraltar this species is very
local and nowhere plentiful, apparently less so than is really the
case, for they are difficult birds to flushj and if put up once will
rarely rise a second time. Scattered here and there, they chiefly
frequent palmetto (Cha/iia^rops hiimilis) scrub, and appear to
be most common near the coast, being more abundant to the
east of Queen of Spain's Chair, especially about the Lomo del
Rey and a place called Las Agusaderas. In their flight and
habits, from what I could observe of them, they resemble the
Indian Button-Quail (Z! dussiunieri).

" I have often seen them among the rough grass and bents
close to the seashore, but always near palmetto, and one bird
in particular for a long time frequented a patch of thick her-
bage near the mouth of the ' First River.' . . .

*' The males of this species, and, I believe, of ull the genus,
are very much smaller than the females. This difference is so
striking that the cazadores always declare that there are two

£72 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY.

Species. I have at different limes kept these httle birds alive,
and sent them to England, and they are easily reconciled to
captivity, becoming very tame and confiding pets ; at times
they coo in a moaning way, whence their trivial Spanish name
of iorillo or little bull. They also have another single note,
much like that of the female Quail, but less loud."

Nest. — A slight hollow in the ground, scantily lined with dry
grass and sheltered by a bush, &c.

Eggs. — Four in number ; broad ovals ; ground colour, dirty
white, thickly spotted and blotched with reddish-brown, dark
brown, and greyish-lilac; average measurement, I'l by o"8
inch.

suB-sp. A. smith's bustard-quail, turnix lepurana.

Otiygis kpuratia, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. App.p.55 (1836).
Hemipodius lepurana, Smith, Illustr. Zool. S. Afr pi. xvi. (1838).
Tiirtiix lepurana, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 539

(1^93)-

Adult Male and Female. — Diflfer from T. sylvatka only in being
smaller.

M^/d— Total length, 5 inches ; wing, 2*9; tail, 1-5; tarsus,
0-8.

Female— ToX.^ length, 5-7 inches; wing, 3*2; tail, 17;
tarsus, o'9.

Kange. — Africa south of about 13^ north latitude; recently
obtained at Aden.

HaMts. — No doubt the habits of this species are very similar
to those of T. sylvatica. Mr. C. J. Andersson writes :— "This
species is not uncommon in Great Namaqua Land during the
rainy season ; but I have never found many of these birds to-
gether, and it is rarely that more than one of them is flushed
at a time. Their favourite resorts are rank grassy spots in the
neighbourhood of temporary rain-pools and periodical water-
courses ; here they run about with great celerity, and, when

T[IUEE-TOED OR CUSTARD-QUAILS. 273

hard-pressed, lie so close as almost to allow themselves to be
trodden on before they take wing, after which it is really
imi)ossible to flush them a second time. They feed on insects
and seeds."

Mr. Ayres says that this species is scarce in the Transvaal and
inhabits the open veldt. It is solitary in its habits, and is sel-
dom if ever found on the corn lands with the common Quail.
He never met with more than two together.

Eggs. — Like those of T. sylvatica^ but smaller, and the mark-
ings finer and closer. Measurements, o'88 by 072 inch.

VI. THE LITTLE BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX DUSSUiMIERI.

Hetnipodius dussumieri^ Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 454, fig. 2 (1828).
Hemipodius sykesi, Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. ii. (see H. kpurana,

pi. 16, footnote) (1838).
Tu?'nlx dussumieri, Gould, B. Asia, vii. pi. 10 (1869); Hume
& Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 193, pi, (1879) j
Gates, cd. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 371
(1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. ]\Ius. xxii. p. 540
(1S93).
Adult Male and Female. — Shoulder-feathers margined with
go/den hujf or straw-colour ; feathers of the sides of the breast
buff, each with a black or black and rufous spot near the
extremity ; middle of the breast buff and not much brighter than
the sides. The male is generally paler and somewhat smaller
(wing, 27 inches) than the female, in which the measurements
are: total length, 5 inches; wing, 2*9; tail, 1-5; tarsus,
075-

Range.- -India, Pegu, Hainan and Formosa.
Habits — This species, also known as the little '' Button
Quail," is a comparatively common and widely-distributed
species, and is to a considerable extent migratory, visiting and
breeding in the Himalaya and other parts of Northern and
Western India, where it is not seen except during the breeding-
season.

J 2 T

2 74 Allen's naturalist's librarv.

M. Hume says :— "In Upper India I have almost exclusively
met with it in patches of low, dense grass, and most generally
in patches of this nature situated in Dhak {Bufea fro?idosa), or
other thin bush or tree jungles. Occasionally I have flushed it
from low crops and not unfrequently from belts of grass sur-
rounding and dividing fields of these.

"It is hard to find without dogs, only rises when hard pressed,
rises almost silently, sails away for a dozen yards like some
large bee, and drops suddenly into some dense tuft of grass
whence, as a rule, it makes no attempt to run, and where the
dogs will often pounce upon it.

"I have once or twice seen it feeding in the early mornings in
the little open spaces intervening between thinly-set tufts of
grass, growing in lands which are flooded during the rains.
During these latter I have seen them gliding like mice about the
paths of my own and other gardens, where there was plenty of
moderately-high fine grass. Two or three shot during the cold
season had eaten only grass seeds, while two shot in my garden
at Etawah had fed almost exclusively on termites."

Colonel Butler says : — "The note of this species is remark-
able, being a mixture of a ' purr ' and a ' coo,' and when uttering
it, the bird raises its feathers and turns and twists about much in
the same way as an old cock pigeon. I have often watched
them in the act of cooing within a few yards of me. If an old
bird gets separated from one of its young ones, it is sure to
commence making this peculiar noise."

Nest. — Lined with grass and placed in a slight depression in
the gtound in some standing crop or patch of grass. Mr.
Hume states that occasionally he has heard of partially or
wholly domed or covered-in nests being met with.

Eggs. — Usual number four, but five and even six are said to
have been found — laid from April to October according to
season and locality. The eggs are moderately broad ovals,
much pointed towards one end, and fairly glossy, cf a paU

THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD- QUAILS. 275

yellowish stone-coloured ground, minutely freckled all over with
specks of yellowish and greyish-brown, overlaid with somewhat
larger streaks, spots, and mottlings of dark earthy brown,
varying in shade in different eggs. Small spots or clouds of
small inky purple are usually scattered amidst the other mark-
ings." {A. O. Hume). Average measurements, 076 by 0-67 inch.

VII. THE AFRICAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX NANA.

Heviipodms nanus, Sundevall, CEfv. Vet.-Akad. Forhandl.

Stockh. 1850, p. no.
Turnix nana, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 541

(1893)-
Adult Male and Female. — Easily distinguished from the preced-
ing species by having the feathers on the sides of the breast
ira?isversely bart-ed ivith black a?td white at the extremity. The
male is smaller (wing, 2*9 inches) and less brightly coloured
than the female ; the black and white bars on the sides of the
breast are more extended, and not confined to the outer row of
feathers. Total length Qi female, 5-8 inches; wing, 3-2; tail,
1-5 ; tarsus, 0-9.

Range. — Africa, south of about lo*' 3. lat. to the Great
Karroo.

VIII. THE SOUTH AFRICAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX
HOTTENTOTTA.

Hemipodiiis hottentottus,lLQmm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 636, 757

Turnix hottentolta, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. INIus. xxii. p.
542 (1893).

Adult Female. — Much like T. nana, but most of the feathers
of the middle of the breast and belly having a round black spot ?tear
the extremity. Total length, 6*6 inches; wing, 3-4; tail, 17;
tarsus, 0-95.

T 2

276 Allen's naturalist's library.

I have not examined a viak example in which the sex has
been satisfactorily ascertained.

Eange. — Extreme south of the African continent, south of the
Great Karroo.

HaMts. — The habits of this species do not apparently differ
from those of other allied forms. More than two are never
seen together, and, as a rule, it is met with singly. Grassy
places and reeds in dry valleys are its favourite haunts, and,
when flushed, it only flies a short distance before dropping
again into cover, through which it instantly decamps, running
with great rapidity. It is resident in the extreme south of the
African continent.

Nest. — " I have taken several nests of this bird ; one was on
a rocky head (koppie) near Swellendam, and others on the
Kuggeas. I never saw one in a valley." ( \V. Atmore.)

Eggs. — Pyriform, and of the usual Hemipodian type. Five in
number. ( W. Atmore.)

b^. Feathers of the ina7itle and back practically uniform.
IX. whitehead's bustard-quail, tuknix

WHITEHEADI. SP. N.

Adult Male. — Most like the male of T. dussumieri in size and
markings, and the middle tail-feathers lengthened, pointed,
and edged with buff; but the general colour of the upper-
parts is dark blackish-grey, indistinctly washed on the back
with rufous ; only a few feathers on the sides of the mantle
and back have the outer-webs edged with buff, and, conse-
quently, 110 scaly appearance is produced, the back being
nearly uniform in colour. The shoulder-feathers (scapulars)
and secondary quills are widely edged with golden buff. Total
length, 44 inches; wing, 2-3 ; tail, 0-85 ; tarsus, 07.

In an immature bird, marked female, the tail is somewhat
longer, measuring 1*05 inch.

Range. — Luzon, Philippine Islands.

THREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAILS.

277

Mr. John W^hitchcad, in whose honour this species has
been named, lias recently sent me two adult males and an
immature female of this species, obtained in the vicinity of
Manila. In most instances, one would hesitate to describe a
new species of Tuniix, without having an adult female for
comparison, but the males before me are so totally distinct
from any species hitherto described, that there can, in this
instance at least, be no doubt as to its being a new form. It
is very curious that this species should not have been met with
by any of the numerous naturalists who have collected round
about Manila, and it only shows how easily birds of this kind
may be overlooked.

d. Middle tail-feathers not lengthened and pointed^ nor edged icith
white or buff ; feathers of the back without any scaly
appearance ; shou/de?'feathers not edged with goldc?i-buff.

X. blanford's bustard-quail, turnix blanfordi.
Turnix macutatus, Vieill. {iiec Heuiipodius niaculosus^ Temm.),

N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxv. p. 47 (1819).
Turnix blaifordi, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxxii. p. 80 (1863);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 542 (1893).
Turnix f?iaculosa, Hume & Marshall, Game Birds Ind. ii.

p. 183, pk (1879).
Hemipodius viciarius^ Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 187 1, p. 402 [adult

male].
Hemipodius chrysostoinus^ Swinhoe, Ann. Mag. N. H. (4) xii.

P- 375 {1873) [adult female].
Hemipodius variabilis^ Prjevalski, Voy. Ussuri, no. 139.

Adult Male. — Differs from the female in having no rufous
nuchal collar. Total length, 5-8 inches; wing, 3-5; tail, 1*3;
tarsus, 0-95.

Adult Female. — General colour above greyish-brown, irregu-
larly blotched and mottled with black and sometimes with
traces of rufous ; a well-defined rufous nuchal collar ; chin and
middle of throat whitish-buff; sides of throat, chest and breasf

278 Allen's naturalist's library.

rufous-buff, shading into white on the belly ; most of the
feathers on the sides of the chest and breast with a round black
%pot near the extremity. Total length, 6-5 inches ; wing, 3 '8 ;
tail, I '5 ; tarsus, i"o5.

Yoimger examples of both sexes have the upper-parts blotched
with black and mixed with rufous, the latter colour being most
conspicuous on the back of the neck, where it forms an in-
distinct collar. Males may be recognised by their smaller
size.

Range. — India, east of the Bay of Bengal to the south of
Tenasserim, Siam and China, as far north as Manchuria.

HaT)its. — The late Mr. W. R. Davison says : — " I have always
found this species about gardens or in the immediate vicinity
of cultivation ; but it is very rare, being only occasionally met
with, and always singly or in pairs. It is hard to flush, and
only flies a short distance before again dropping, but it then
runs a considerable distance before halting, and thereafter lies
very close. It feeds like the other Quails in the mornings and
evenings, lying hid during the heat of the day. On cloudy or
viiny days it moves about all day.

"The fact is that it is apparently everywhere thinly distributed,
that it is a terrible skulk, only to be flushed by chance
without the aid of dogs, and is, I gather, as a rule, a very silent
bird.

" Specimens examined had eaten grain, seeds, small insects,
and tiny green shoots."

XL THE INDIAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX TANKL

Turnix tanki (Buchanan Hamilton), Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng.

1843, p. 180; Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B.

iii. p. 370 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii.

p. 544 (1893).
Hemipodius joudera, Hodgson, in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 85

(1844) [nom. nud.j.

THREE-TOED OR EUSTARD-QUAILS. 279

Tuniixjoudera^ Gray, Gen. B. iii. pi. cxxxi. (1846); Hume &

Marshall, Game Birds Ind. ii. p. 187, pi. (1879).
Turnix dussumi;ri^ Jerdon {iiec Ten m.), B. India, ii. p. 599

(1863).

Adult Male. — Similar to the female^ but the markings on the
upper-parts are coarser, and there is 710 rufous nuchal collar.
Total length, 5-3 inches; wing, 3 ; tail, i ; tarsus, 0*85.

Adult Female. — Like the feinak of T. bhuifordi^ but much
smaller ; the back nearly uniform greyish-brown, with fine faint
wavy bars of darker brown ; the rufous nuchal collar wider.
Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, 3*4; tail, it ; tarsus, 0-85.

You?iger examples resemble immature specimens of T. blan-
fordi, but are, of course, smaller.

Range. — The Peninsula of India and east of the Bay of Ben-
gal as far south as Tippera.

HaMts. — Colonel Tickell says : — >" This is a solitary bird, found
scattered about here and there throughout Bengal in open,
sandy, bushy places in and about jungles or fields and dry
meadows in cultivated country ; frequently in low, gravelly
hills or uplands of ' Khunkur' (nodular limestone). It is met
with on both sides of the Ganges, at least as high up as
Benares."

Mr. A. O.Hume says: — ''Its flight is even feebler and shorter
than that of the Bustard Quail {T. taigoor); it rises only when you
are about to step on it, with occasionally a low double chirp,
barely audible to my ears. When flushed it rises with much
less noise and whirr than do the Bustard Quails. It glides bee-
like through the air for a few paces, just skimming the waving
tops of the grass, and drops suddenly, as if paralysed, almost
before you can bring your gun to the shoulder.

" Smart little dogs will readily find it after it has thus drop-
ped, and as often as not (so pertinaciously does it cling to its
hiding-place) will seize it on the ground, but with only beaters

sSo alt.en's naturalists library.

it is almost useless trying to put up one of these Button Quails
a second time.

" Like all the Quails, they may be occasionally seen at early
morn and eve feeding along the paths running through, or in
tiny open spaces in the midst of, the grass they li^'c in. I have
never seen them in field or stubbles, nor had any of the few I
have examined eaten any grain, only grass seeds ai^id small
black fragments, which might have bsen portions of sm.ill hard
seeds or of tiny Coleoptera."

Nest. — Composed of soft blades of dry grass, placed at the
foot of a tussock of coarse grass, the entrance-hole being on
one side, and extending nearly to the top of the nest.
{E. A. Butler)

E^g3. — Smaller than those of T. faigoor, of a dirty yellowish
white colour, thickly speckled, spotted and blotched all over
with brownish-black. Shell highly glossed. Measurements,
0*84 by 063 inch. {E. A. Butler.)

XII. THE NICOBAR BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX ALBIVENTER.

Turnix albiventris, Hume, Str. F. i. p. 310 (1873) ; Hume &
Marshall, Game Birds Ind. ii. p. 199, pi. (1879) ; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 545 (1893).

Adult Male. — Like the male of T. hlanfordi^ but the back is
darker brownish-grey, irregularly blotched and mottled with
black and rufous. No rufous nuchal collar. Total length,
5-3 inches ; wing 3 \ tail, I'l ; tarsus, 0-85.

Adult Female. — Differs from the female of 7! hlanfordi in
having the back darker brownish-grey, irregularly blotched and
mottled with black and rufous ; the nuchal collar deeper rufous
and wider. Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, -^-i; tail, 1-2;
tarsus, o'9.

Younger examples resemble the immature of T. buvijordi.

TIIREE-TOED OR BUSTARD-QUAILS. 2o I

Eange. — Nicobar and Andaman Islands.

Habits. — The late Mr. W. R. Davison writes : — '' This Quail is
very rare in the Andamans, where I only once saw it, but at the
Nicobars, at least on Camoi ta Island, it is not uncommon, fre-
quenting the long grass, occasionally straying into gardens, &c.
I have never seen them in coveys, but have found them usually
in pairs, sometimes singly ; they are difficult to get, as they
wmU not rise without being almost trodden on. When they do
rise, they only fly such a short distance that it would be im-
possible to Hre without blowing them to piece:,, and then they
drop again into the long grass, from which it is almost im-
possible to flush them a second time. I have found them most
numerous in the large grassy tracts in the inteiior of Camorta."

d\ Shoulder -feathers edged with goldendniff,
xiii. temminck's bustard-quail, turnix maculosa.

Hemipodiiis ??iacuIosus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 631, 757

(1815).
Turnix vuuulatus, Vieill. Gal. des Gis. ii. p. 51, pi. 217 (1825)

[adult female].
Ilemipodius juelanoius, Gould, B. Austr. v. pi. 84 (1848).
Turnix beccarii, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. vii. p. 675

{1875).
lurnix maculosa^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B Brit. Mus. xxii. p.

546 (1893).

Adult Male.— Like the female, but there is no trace of a
rufous nuchal collar. Total length, 5T inches; wing, 28;
tail, 1*2 ; tarsus, o-8.

Adult Female. — Like the female of T. bhmfordi, but at once
distinguished by the golden buff or straiv-coloured edges to the
shoulderfeathers (scapulars) ; there is also more rufous in the
plumage of the upper-parts below the rufous nuchal collar;

282 ai.len's naturalist's library.

the throat and breast being pale rufous. Total length, 5*8
inches; wing, 3*2; tail, 1-3; tarsus, 0-85.

Iia»ge. — Northern and Eastern Australia and the interior.
South coast of New Guinea, and South-East Celebes.

XIV. THE NEW BRITAIN BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX SATURATA.

Tuniix saturata, Forbes, Ibis. 1882, p. 428, pi. xii. ; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 547 (1893).

Adult Male. — Like the female, but the chin and middle of
of the throat are white, and the breast rufous-buf. Total
length, 5-0 inches; wing, 2-9; tail, i-q; tarsus, o-8.

Adult Female. — Differs from i\\Q female of T. maculosa in hav-
ing no rufous nuchal collar; the whole of the upper-parts
blackish-grey, with traces here and there of pale rufous and
buff mottlings towards the tips of the feathers ; eyebrow-stripes,
sides of the face, throat, and breast bright rufous.

Range. — New Britain and the Duke of York Archipelago.

Islr. Layard found this s[:ecies mostly in the sweet-potato
plantations on Mioko Island, Duke of York Archipelago.

Eggs.— Pyriform ; olive-brown, minutely speckled all over
with tiny black or dark brown spots, sometimes forming
blotches. Measurements, I'o by 0*95 inch.

XV. Wallace's bustard-quail. turnix rufescens.
Turnix rufescens, Wallace, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 497; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxh. p. 547 (1893).
NearlyAdult Male!— The only known example of this species
is the type specimen in the British Museum. The sex is not
indicated, but it appears to be a nearly adult male. It resembles
T. maculosa in having the general colour of the upper-parts
greyish-brown ; but like T. saturata the breast is rufous. It is
impossible without additional specimens and adult females to

THREE-TOED OR DUSTARD-QUAII^S. 283

say whether this species is really distinct from T. maadosa.
Total length, 5*2 inches; wing, 2-9 ; tail, t"i ; tarsus, 08.

Range. — Island of Semao, Timor,

C. Neck and breast u?iiform hn^ht rufo::s.

XVI. THE CHESTNUT-BREASTED fJUS TARD-QUAIL. TURNIX
OCELLATA.

Oriolus ocellatus^ Scopoli, Del. Flor. Faun. Insubr. pt. ii. p. 88

(17S6).

Tetrao htzoniensis^ Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 767 (1788).
Hemipodius iJioracicus^ Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 622, 755

(1815)-
Turiiix ritfus, Vieillot, 2nd ed. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxv.

p. 48 (1823).
Ortygis oceliaia, Meyer, Nov. Act. Acad. C. L.-C. Nat. Curios.

xvi. Suppl. i. p. 1 01, pi. 17 (1834).
Tii7-iiix oceUafa, Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis. 1889, pp. 452, 469, pi. xiv. ;

id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 548 (1893).

Adult Male. — Differs from the female in having the chin and
middle of the throat white, generally with some black spots ;
no rufous nuchal collar; the black ocelli on the wing-coverts
larger and more numerous. Total length, 6*4 inches; wing,
3-8 ; tail, 1-6 ; tarsus, I'l.

Adult Female. — General colour above ashy-brown w^ith irregular
wavy black bars and motllings, and some blotches of the same
colour ; a fairly well-defined rufous nuchal collar ; wing-coverts
brownish-buff, mostly with a black spot edged with whitish-buff
near the tip of the outer web ; sides of the head and throat
black (irregularly mixed with white in less mature examples) ;
neck, chest, and breast uniform rufous-chestnut ; rest of under-
parts dirty buff, paler on the belly. Total length, 6-9 inches;
wing, 4*2; tail, i-8 ; tarsus, i'2.

^ange. — Luzon, Philippine Islands,

2S4 Allen's naturalist's LiBRAnv.

II. Leg {metatarsus) equal to or shorter than the middle toe
and claw. Bill very stout in some species.
xvn. tup: Madagascar bustard-quail, turnix
nigricollis.

Trtrao nigricollis, Gmel. S. N. i. pt ii. p. 767 (1788).
Turnix nigricollis, Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, Hist. Nat
Madag. Ois. p. 494, pi. ccii. (1885) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat B.
Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 549 (1893).

Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from the female in having the
feathers of the forehead black widely edged with buff; the
nape like the upper back ; the chin and throat white ; the sides
of the chest washed with pale rufous ; the middle of the chest,
breast, and flanks buff, all barred with black; belly paler.
Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, 2-9; tail, 1*35 ; tarsus, q-S.

Adult Female. — The feathers of the forehead black, barred with
white ; the nape dark grey ; the upper back mixed with black
and rufous and margined with whitish-buff; rest of upper-parts
mostly brownish-grey, mottled with black and rufous ; the wing-
coverts rufous with irregularly-shaped black and white spots ;
the sides of the face and neck white, tipped with black; the chin,
throat, and middle of the chest black, the two former bordered
on either side by a white stripe ; the shoulders and sides of the
chest bright rust-red ; the breast and belly uniform dove-grey.
Bill slender. Total length, 5-8 inches; wing, 3-3; tail, 1-4;
tarsus, o*8.

Kange. — Madagascar.

XVIII. THE BLACK-CREASTED BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX

melanogaster.
Hemipodius melanogaster, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 7; id. B.

Austr. V. pi. 81 (1848).
Tur?iix melanogaster, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 178

(1865); North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 285 (1889);

Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 550 (1893).

THREE-TOED OR T-USTARD-QUAILS. 2o5

Adult Llalo. — Differs from \\\iz female in having the lop of tlie
head 7cmb(7--l>ro7VJi like the back ; the sides of the head tvhife,
tipped 7vith black ; the chin and middle of the throat ///;'t' wJiiie ;
the chest and breast whitish-buff with a wide V-shapjd black
bar near the extremity of each feather. Total length, 63
inches; wing, 4-1 ; tail, i'6 ; tarsus, 0*95.

Adult Female. — General colour above umber-brown, mixed
with chestnut and barred with black ; wing-coverts mostly
chestnut with white black-edged spots ; the forehead, sides of
the face and throat black ; top of the head mixed chestnut and
black ; chest and breast black, most of the feathers tipped with
white; belly dark grey marbled with buff and black. Total
length, 7-5 inches; wing, 4*4; tail, 17; tarsus, I'o.

Range. — Eastern Australia.

Nest. — Merely a slight depression beside a tuft of grass.

Eggs. — Three to four in number ; ground colour pale whitish-
buff with pale lilac under-markings, minutely and thickly
freckled all over with light reddish- brown and blotched witii
chestnut-brown and black. JNIeasurements, it 2 by 0*9 inch.

XIX, THE VARIEGATED BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIK VARIA.

Perdix varius, Latham, Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. Ixii. (1801).

Heniipodius varius, Gould, B. Austr. v. pl. 82 (1848).

Hemipodiiis scintillans, Gould, P. Z. S, 1S45, p. 62 ; id. B
Austr. V. pl. 83(1848).

Turnix varia, Gould, Handb. Austr. B. ii. p. 179 (1865);
North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 285 (1889) ; Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 551 (1893).

Adult Male. — Differs from the female in having 7io rufous
nuchal collar ; the chest buff, irregularly spotted and marked
with grey. Total length, 6*4 inches; wing, 37; tail, 17;
tarsus, o'S.

Adult Female. — General colour above black, barred with rufous
and shading into chestnut on the back of the fieck ; wing-cover i

286 ALLEN5 NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

with irregular white black-edged spots ; eyebrow-stripes, sides of
face and throat white, tipped with black, the chin and middle
of throat white : feathers of the chest grey, with a spatulate buff
shaft-stripe : breast buff, mixed with grey ; belly pale buff: bill
fairly stout. Total length, 7*6 inches: wing, 4*2; tail, 1*9;
tarsus, 0.9.

Ean^e. — Australia. Recorded from Xew Caledonia, but the
bird from this island may prove to be distinct.

Habits. — Mr. Gould says : — '* Among the Game Birds of Aus-
tralia, the Varied Tumix plays a rather prominent part, for
although its flesh is not so good for the table as that of the little
Partridge and Quail {Synoicus ausiralis and Cotur;iix pectorans),
it is a bird which is not to be despised when the game-bag is emp-
tied at the end of a day's sport, for it forms an acceptable variety
to its contents. Although it does not actually associate with
either ot the birds mentioned above, it is often found in the
same districts, and all three species may be procured in the
course of a morning's walk in many parts of New South Wales,
Victoria, and South Australia, where it frequents sterile stony
ridges, interspersed with scrubby trees and moderately thick
grass.

'* It is also ver}- common in all parts of Tasmania suitable to
its habits, hills of moderate elevation and of a dry stony
character being the localities preferred ; it is also numerous on
the sandy and sterile islands in Bass's Straits.

'•' It runs very quickly, and when flushed flies low, its pointed
wings giving it much the appearance of a Snipe or Sandpiper.
When running or walking over the ground, the neck is
stretched out and the head carried ver}' high, which, together
with the rounded contour of the back, give it a very
grotesque appearance. The breeding-season commences in
August or September, and terminates ia January, during which
period at least two broods are reared.

"The note is a loud and plaintive sound, which is often
repeated, particularly during the pairing-season.

TIIREE-TG£t> OR BUSTAREHQUAILS. 287

"The young run as soon as they are hatched, and their
appearance then assimilates so closely to that of the young
Partridges and Quails that they can scarcely be distinguished.

" The food of this species consists of insects, grain, and
berries ; of the former many kinds are eaten, but locusts and
grasshoppers form the principal part ; a considerable quantity
of S3nd is also found in the gizzard, which is verj- thick and
muscular."

Nest. — A slight cavity, lined with dried grasses, close to a tuft
of grass.

Eggs. — Four in number ; wide ovals, slightly pointed at the
smaller end, and marked much as in the other species, but the
markings are generally vQry fine. Average measurement, iiz
by o'88 inch.

XX. THE CHESTNUT-BACKED BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX

CA5TANONOTA.

Hemipodius casfanotus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1S39, p. 145; id. B.

Austr. V. pi. 85 (1S4S).
Turnix casta?ionota, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p.
552 (1893)"

Adult Male. — Like the di&a\t female, but somewhat smaller.

AdTilt Female. — General colour above uniform dull light red,
most of the feathers of the upper back with black and white
edges, with some black blotches ; wing-coverts ornamented
with black and white ocelli ; eyebrow-stripes and sides of the
face white, tipped with black ; chin and throat white ; chest and
breast grey, with white shaft-stripes ; sides light red with
irregular white black-edged ocelli ; rest of under-parts whitish-
buff. Bill very stout. Total length, 6 inches ; wing, 3-6 ;
tail, I "5 ; tarsus, 0*9.

Eange. — Northern Australia.

Habits.— Mr. Gilbert says :— '-This species inhabits the sides of

i^S Allen's naturalisi's lidrarV.

stony hills in coveys of fram fifteen to thirty in number ; when
disturbed, they seldom rise together, but run along the ground,
and it is only upon being very closely pursued that they will take
wing, and then they merely fly to a short distance. While run-
ning along the ground their heads are thrown up as high as
their necks will permit, and their bodies being carried very
erect, a waddling mo', ion is given to their gait, which is very
ludicrous. The stom:i' hi of those dissected were very muscu-
lar, and contained seeds and a large proportion of pebbles."

Eggs. — Differ from those of all the other species. Wide
ovals ; ground colour white, with comparatively very few
rounded black dots and spots, and a few greyish under mark-
ings. Measurements, 1*05 by o"8 inch.

XXL THE RUFOUS-CHESTED BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX
rVRRHOTHORAX.

Hemipodiiis pyrrhothorax^ Gould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 150 ; id. "D.

Austr. V. pi. 86 (1:848).
I'urnix pyrrhothorax, North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 2S7

(1889): Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. 13. IJrit. Mus. xxii. p. 533

(1893).'
Tiirnix /a/cogaster, North, Ibis. 1895, p. 342.

Adult Male. — Resembles the adult/^;;/a/c, but is smaller ; the
rust-coloured chest not so bright. Total length, 5-2 inches;
wing, 2-9; tail, 1-3; tarsus, 0-75.

Adult Female. — General colour above slone-grcy, most of tlie
hathers of the back with narrow cross-bars of rufous and black ;
feathers of the back of the neck rufous-grey with whitish-buft'
edges; eyebrow-stripes, sides of face and neck while, tipped with
/)lack ; cIksI, sides of breast and flanks rufous ; middle of the
throat and rest of under-parts whitish. Bill very stout. Total
length, 6 inches; w^ing, 3*3 ; tail, 1*4; tarsus, o'S.

Range.— North-East, East and South Australia, extending
westwards to the interior.

TIIRElvTOED OR BUSTARD-tjUAILS. 289

Nest. — A shallow hollow lined with dry grass.

Eg^s. — Four in number; broad ovals; ground colour dull
whitish, almost hidden l)y dense indistinct marking of chest-
nut and greyish-brown. Measurements, ro by 077 inch.

XXir. THE SWIFT I'.USTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX VEI-OX.

Hemipodius ve/ox, (lould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 150; id. B. Austr.
V. pi. 87 (1848).

Turnix velox, Gould, Handb. Austr. B. ii. p. 184 (1865);
North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 286 (1889); Ogilvie-
Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 553 (1893).

Adult Male. — Similar to the adult female, but rather smaller.
Total length, 5*5 inches; wing, 2'9 ; tail, 1*2; tarsus, o"6.

Adult Female.- — General colour above dull bright red, shading
into light red on the nape and crown of the head; the mark-
ings very similar t(^ those of T. pyrrhothorax ; the sides of
the head and chest pale light red ; the breast and rest of under-
l)arts white. Bill very stout. Total length, 5'5 inches ; \ving,
3-3; tail, 1-2 ; tarsus, 07.

Range. — Australia.

Habits. — Mr. Gould says : — " It appears to give preference to
low stony ridges thinly covered with grasses, for it was in such
situations that I generally found it, though on some occasions
I started it from among the rank herbage clothing the alluvial
soil of the bottoms. It lies so close as to be nearly trodden
upon before it will rise, and when flushed flies off with such
extreme rapidity, as, when its small size and the intervention
of trees combine, to render it a most difficult shot to the
sportsman. On rising, it flies to the distance of one or two
hundred yards within two or three feet of the surface, and then
suddenly pitches to the ground. As might be expected, it lies
well to a pointer, and it was by this means that I found many
which I could not otherwise have started.

" It breeds in September and October."

290 Allen's naturalist's library.

Nest.— Slightly constructed of grasses placed in a shallow
depression of the ground, under the shelter of a small tuft of
grass. {Gould.)

Eggs. — Four in number ; broad ovals ; of a dirty white,
either finely freckled all over or thickly blotched with mark-
ings of reddish-brown, light brown, and slate grey. Measure-
ments, 0-95 by 075 inch.

THE PLAIN-WANDERERS. GENUS PEDIONOMUS.
%^_ Pedionomus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 114.

Type, P. torquatus, Gould.
Distinguished from the genus Tiirnix by possessing a small
hind toe (hallux).

Only one species is known.

I. THE COLLARED PLAIN-WANDERER. PEDIONOMUS
TORQUATUS.

Pediononms torquatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 114; id. B
Austr. V. pi. 80 (1848); Diggles, B. Austr. ii. pt. xv. pi.
195 (1867); North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 288
(1889); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 544

(1893)-
Pediono7nus miavurus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 20.
Turnix gouldiana (Des Murs) ; Bonap. Compt. Rend. xlii. p.
881(1856).

Adult Male.— Differs from the female in having no rust-coloui
on the nape ; the collar round the neck buff and brownish, not
differing so conspicuously in colour from the rest of the
plumage ; the upper-chest washed with bright buff. Total
length, 5-8 inches; wing, 3*4; tail, i'2; tarsus, 0-9.

Adult Female.— General colour above brown, finely barred
with black ; a collar of black white-tipped feathers surrounding
the neck; nape and upperpart of chest rust-colour ; most of

THE PLAIN WANDERERS. 29I

the feathers of the top of the head, l)ack and shoulder-feathers
margined witli whitish-buff, and with the vanes free, giving the
plumage a Rhca-like appearance; chin and middle of throat
white ; breast and rest of under-parts buff barred with black,
except in the middle of the belly. Total length, 6-3 inches;
wing, 4; tail, i'6; tarsus, i.

Range. — Australia ; New South Wales, Victoria, South Aus-
trali:i, and the interior.

Habits. — Sir George Grey says: — "These birds are migra-
tory ; they appear at Adelaide in June, and di.sappear about
January ; where they go has not yet been ascertained. They
never fly if they can avoid so doing, and are often caught by
dogs ; when disturbed they crouch down and endeavour to hide
themselves in a tuft of grass. While running about they are in
the habit of raising themselves in a nearly perpendicular posi-
tion on the extremities of their toes, so that the hinder part
of the foot does not touch the ground, and of taking a wide
survey around them. . . . The call of those we have in
confinement precisely resembles that of the Emu, not the
whistle, but the hollow-sounding noise like that produced by
tapping on a cask which the Emu utters, but it is, of course,
much fainter."

October and November are said to be the principal breeding

months.

Nest. — Made of dry grasses, and placed in a slight depres-
sion in the ground, under the shelter of a shrub or tuft of
grass.

Eggs. — Four in number ; pyriform ; ground colour stone-
white, thickly freckled and blotched with umbsr-brown and
vinous-grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the
surface of the shell. Average meisurements, i"35 by 0*94
inch.

u 2

APPENDIX TO VOL. I,

Page 97, add : —

SPATZ'S RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE.

Caccabis spatzi, Reichenow, J. f. O. 1895, p. no.

Under the above name Dr. Reichenow has separated the
paler desert form of the Barbary Red-legged Partridge met
with in the south of Tunis from the darker birds inhabiting
the wooded steppes of the north, which he regards as typical
C. pctrosa.

Caccabis petrosa^ like Caccabis cJiukar (cf. vol. i. p. 93), might
no doubt be divided mto several races, the colour of the
plumage being darker in wooded districts, where the annual
rainfall is greater than in the more arid deserts. Generally
speaking, it is useless to call sucli climatic races by different
names, for they merge imperceptibly into one another, and it
is impossible to define where one begins and the other ends.

Page 1 01, add : —

III. CHOLM ley's see-see PARTRIDGE. AiMMOPERDIX
CHOLMLEYI, Sp. n.

Adult Male. — The See-See inliabiting Palestine and the eas-
tern shores of the Red Sea has always been considered identical
with the African form met with in North-East Africa, in I^>gypt,
and the countries bordering the western shores of the Red Sea.
Until recently I had not examined a male of the African form,
but my friend, IMr. A. J. Cholmley, during his recent trip to
the Soudan, procured two fine males in the Erba Mountains,
near Suakim. On comparing these and two other African males

294 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY.

recently added to the British Museum collection with the
typical examples of ^. heyi from Araljia, I find that the former
differ constantly in having the general colour of the upper-parts
darker, and in lacking entirely the white forehead and lores
characteristic of A. heyi. Measurements the same as those of
A. heyi.

Adult Female. — Similar to the female of A. heyi.

Range. — Egypt and Nubia.

Page 119, add : —
xxi^z. crawshay's francolin. francolinus crawshayi.
Fnincolinus cniivshayi., Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1896, p. 482, pi. xii.
Adult Male. — Most nearly allied to F. levaillanti, which it
resembles in having the black and white superciliary stripes
confluent on the nape. It is easily distinguished by having the
pure white chin and throat bordered by a dull rust-coloured
band ; this is divided from the dull chestnut sides of the head
and neck by a nearly pure white band, commencing above the
angle of the gape ; the fore-neck is nearly pure white, only a
few of the lowest feathers barred with black. Total length, 1 1
inches; wing, 6-5 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 1-9.

Ranjje. — i\Iountains of Nyika to the west of Lake Nyasa.

The only specimen I have seen was obtained by ^Ir. Richard
Crawshay, on Cheni-Cheni Mountain, at an elevation of 7,400
feet.

APPENDIX TO VOL. II.

LOPHORTYX LEUCOPROSOPON.

Lophorlyx leiicoprosopon^ Reichenow, Orn. Monatsber. iii. pp.
lo, 97 with wood^at of 6 and 9 (1895).

Under the above title Dr. Reichenow describes and figures
what he beheves to be a new species of Lophortyx. The
species is founded on birds bred in captivity, and the young
birds are said to have been perfecdy similar to their parents,
but the orio;in of the latter is unknown.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

abuni, Abunia. 22?, 254.

Penelope. 254.
Aburria. 222, 253.

aburri. 222, 254.

carunculata. 254.
Abyssinian Hehiieted Guinea-F'jwl.

95.
Aery Ilium. loi.

vulturinuni. 102
adspersa, Ortalida. 241.

Penelope. 241.
reneus, Gallus. 60.
Aepypodius. 195.

arfakianus. 189, 196.

bruijni. 195.
aflinis, Megapodius. 171, 179.
x\frican Eustard-Quail. 275.
africanus, Turnix. 270.
Agelastes meleagrides. 86.
albeiti, Crax. 205, 211.
albipennis, Penelope. 230.
albivenlcr, Ortalis, 239, 241.

Penelope. 247.
albivcntris, Ortalis. 239.

Penelope. 239.

Turnix. 279.
albotorquatus, Phasianus. 24.
aldrovandi, I'avo. 82.
Alecthelia urvilii. 179.
aleclor, Crax. 201.
Aleclura latlianii. 192.
Amazonian Pijiing Ciuan. 253.
r.'nboinensis, Mcga])odius. 175.
American MounLain - Pheasant,
217.

Partridge. 1 12.

Partridge, Long-tailed. 112.

American Quail. 112

Turkey. 1 06.
americana, Meleagrls. 104, lo5,

no.
amherstiiTe, Chrysolophus. 46, 47.

I^hasianus. 46.

Thaumalea. 49.
Amherst's Pheasant. 46.
Ammoperdix cholmleyi. 293.
Andalusian Bustard - Quail. 270,

271.
andalusicus, Tetrao. 270
Anna. 260.

aracuan, Pcnelo])e. 236.
Aracuary. 240.
araucuan, Ortalida. 236.

Ortalis. 236.
Areoturnix blakistoni. 265.
arfakianus, Aepypodius. 189, 196.

Talegallus. 196.
Argus. 69.

bipunctatus. 74-

giganteus. "JO.

grayi. T^-

ocellatus. 75.

pavoninus. 70.

rheinardti. 76.
argus, Argusianus. 70, 74, 75.

Phasianus. 70.
Argus Pheasant. 69. 70.

Crested. 75.

(; ray's. 73.

Rheinardt's. 75.

Wood's. 74.
Argusianus. 69, 70.

argus. 70, 74, 75.

bipunctatus. 74.

29S

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Argusianus grayi. y^^ 74, 75-
argyrotis, Penelope. 220, 222,
230.

Pipile. 230.
assimilis, Megapodlus. 175.
Astrolabe Bay Alegapode. 172.
atelospilum, Polyplectron. 61.
atriceps, Ortyx. 144.
aureus. Meleagiis. no.
Australian Brush-Turkey. 192.
australis, Catheturus. 192.

Synoicus. 285.

balliviani, Oclontophorus. 160.
Ballivian's Spotted Partridge. 160.
bankiva, Gallus. 48.
barbatus, Denc!roityx. 113.
Barred-backed Pheasants. 41.
Barred Partridge. 127.

Mexican. 127.
Bar-tail Pheasant. 40.
Bar-tailed Penelope. 230.
Battenberg's Turkey. 260.
Bearded Long-tailed Partridge.

113-

beccarii, Turnix. 280.

Bech. 134.

bensoni, Callipepla. 126.

bernsteini, Megapodius. 171.

Bernstein's INIegapode. 171.

bicalcaratum, Polyplectron. 65,

66.
bicalcaratus, Pavo. 65.
bipunctatus, Argus. 74.

Argusianus. 74.
Black-breasted Bustard-Quail.

284.
Colin. 142.
Partridge. 158.
Sickle-winged Guan. 257.
Black-chested Crested Guinea-Fowl,

98.
Black-collared Created Guinea-

Fowl. 97.
Black-eared Partridge. 155.
Black-eyebrowed Partridge. 157.
Black-fronted Piping Guan. 251.
Black-Game. 14.
Black Guinea-Fowls. 84, 85.
Black-headed Colin. 144.

Black Partridge. 147.

Penelope. 232, 233.
Black-shouldered Peacock. 81.
Black Tail-less Fowl. 49.
Black-throated Crested Quail. 133.

Quail. 134.
Black Wattled Guan. 254.
l)Iakistoni, Areoturnix. 265.
blanfordi, Turnix. 276. 279, 280.
]31anford's Bustard-Quail. 276.
Blue Quail. 115.
blumenbachii, Crax. 207.
Bob Whites. 134, 135, 136.
Bob- white, Florida. 138.

]NLasked. 143.

Texan. 139, 140.
Bolivian Penelope. 227.
boliviana, Penelope. 227.
Bornean Peacock- Pheasant. 65.
brasiliensis, JNIitua. 214.

Penelope. 226.
brazieri, Megapodius. iSo.
brenchleyi, Megapodius. 172.
Brenchley's Megapode. 172.
bridgesi, Penelope. 225.
Bridges' Penelope. 225.
Bronze-tailed Peacock- Pheasants.

68.
Brown Penelope. 229.
bruijni, Aepypodius. 195.
bruijnii, Talegallus. 195.
brunneiventris, Megapodius. 172.
brunnescens, Lophortyx. 121.
Brush 'Turkey, Australian. 192.

Cuvier's. 189.

Dark-billed. 190.

Jobi-Island. 191.

Long-tailed. 191.

New Guinea Wattled. 196.

Papuan Wattled. 195.

Waigiou Wattled. 165.
Burmese Pea-fowl. 82.
burnal)yi, Megapodius. 183.
Bustard- or Three-toed (Quails.

263, 265.
Bustard-Quail, African. 275.

Andalusian. 270, 271.

Black-breasted. 283.

Blanford's. 276.

Celebean. 269.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

2iJ(J

Lustard-Quail, Chestnut - backed.
286.

ChesUiut-l)reastcd. 282,

Indian. 27S.

Island. 268.

Little. 273.

Madagascar. 283.

New iJrilain. 281.

Nicobar. 279.

I'hilippine. 268.

Rufous-chested. 287.

Smith's. 272.

vSouth African. 275.

Sumbawa. 270.

Swift. 288.

Tcmniinck's. 280.

Variegated. 284.

Wallace's. 28 1 .
Button-Quail. 273.

Caccabis spatzi. 293.
Calaluja. 222.
Californian Quail. 120, 121.
californica, Callipepla, 121.

vallicola, Callipepla. 121.
californicus brunnescens, Loplior-

tyx. 121.
californicus, Lophortyx. 121, 124,

Ortyx. 121.

Tetrao. 121.
Callipepla. 114.

californica. 121.

californica vallicola. 121.

castaneiventer. 117.

elegans. 126.

elegans bensoni. 126.

gambeli. 124.

squamata. 114.

squamata castanogastris. II7.

squamata pallida. 1 1 5.

strenua. 115.

venusta. I2|.
Callophasis humiix?, 42.
Calophasis. 41.

ellioti. 41, 42, 43.

humia% 42.
canicollis, Penel()[)e. 233.

Ortalida. 2^8.

Ortalis. 238.

Canje. 260.
capistrata, Ortyx. 154.
Capueira. 154.

Partridge. 154,
capueira, Odontoi)horus. 154.

I'erdix. 154.
Caracas Spotted Partridge. 161,
caracco, Ortalida. 241.

Ortalis. 241.
carunculata, Aburria. 254.

Crax. 206, 209.
castaneiventer, Calliiicpla. 117.
castaneus, Ortyx. 145.
castanogastris, Callipepla. 117.
castanonota, Turnix. 286.
castanotus, liemipodius, 286.
Catheturus. 192.

australis. 192.

lathami. 192.
Catreus. i.

wallichi. 1,2.
Celebean Bustard-Quail. 269.
Ceylon Jungle-fowl. 53.
Chachalac. 245.
Cha-cha-la-ca. 246, 249.
chalcurum, Polyplectron. 69.
Chalcurus. 69.

inocellatus. 69.
chalcurus, Chalcurus. 69.
Chamaepetes. 255.

goudoti. 256.

tschudii. 256.

unicolor. 257.
Chanticleer, Southern. 58.
Charatas. 238, 239.
Cheer Pheasant. 2.
Chestnut-backed Bustard-Quail. 2S6
Chestnut-bellied Penelope. 229.

Scaled Partridge. llS.

Scaly Partridge. 1 17.
Chestnut - breasted Bustard-Quail.

282.
Chestnut-coloured Culin. 145.
Chestnut-eared Partridge. 156.
Chestnut-throated Partridge. 156.
Chestnut-winged Guan. 248.

Ecuador. 249.

Grey-headed. 249.
^tnut
162.

300

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Chinese Ringlcss Pheasant. 28.

Ring-necked Pheasant. 24.
chinquis, Pavo. 61.

Polyplectron. 60, 61, 64, 65.
Chirascua. 114.
chohnleyi, Ammoperdix. 293.
Chohiiley's See-see Partridge. 293.
Chrysolophus. 44.

amherstix. 46, 47.

obscurus. 46.

pictus. 45, 46, 47.
chrysomelas, Phasianus. 16, 20,

23-

chrysostomus, Hemipodius. 276.
cinctus, Odontophorus. 162.

Rhynchortyx. 162, 163.
cinereiceps, Ortalis. 249.
Cochine. 239.
Codorniz. 134, 141, 142,
Cojolito. 224, 225.
colchicns, Phasianus. 6, 9, 15, 16,
18, 19, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, ^}.

septentrionalis, Phasianus. 9.
Colin, Black-breasted. 142.

Black-headed. 144.

Chestnut-coloured. 145.

Coyolcos. 144.

Cuban. 140.

Florida. 138, 141.

Grayson's. 142.

Long-legged. 162.

Long - legged Chestnut - zoned.
162.

Ridgway's. 143.

Texan. 139.

Virginian. 135.
Colinus nigroguiaris scgovicnsis.

133-

ridgvvayi. 143.

virginianus. 135.

virginianus cubanensis. 140.

virginianus floridanus. 13S.

virginianus texanus. 139.
Collared Plain-Wanderer. 2S9,

290.
eolumbianus, Oduntoi)horus. 161.
Common Ilelmcled Guinea- Fowl.
87.

Pea-fowl. y7.

Pheasant. 9.

consobrinus, Odijntophorus. 159.
Copper Pheasant, .Soemmerring's.

34-
cornuta, Numida. 91, 92, 94.
coronata, Numida. 90, 91.
Coturnix pectoralis. 285.
Coyolcos Colin. 144.
coyolcos, Ortyx. 144..

Tetrao. 144.
Cracidce, 200.

crawshayi, Francolinus. 294.
Crawshay's Francolin. 294.
Crax. 200.

alberti. 205, 211.

alector. 2or.

blumenbachii. 207.

carunculata. 206, 209.

cumanensis. 250.

daubentoni. 209, 211, 217.

erythrognatha. 201.

fasciolata. 202,203,211.

galeata. 216.

globicera. 202, 205, 207, 209.

globulosa. 208, 209.

grayi. 206.

hecki. 205.

incommoda. 202.

mikani. 209.

iiiitu, 201, 214.

panamensis. 204, 2o5.

pauxi. 216.

pinima. 202, 209.

pipile. 250.

pseudalector. 203.

rubra. 202, 205.

rubrirostris. 206.

sclateri. 202.

sloanei. 201.

temminckii. 203.

tomentosa. 215.

tuberosa. 214.

urumutum. 21 r.

validirostris. 2 1 1.

yarrellii. 206.
Crested Argus Pheasant. 75.

Curassow. 200.

(iuinea-Fowl. Black-chested. 89.

Guinea - Fowd, Black-collared.
97-

Penelope. 226.

ALPHALETICAL INDEX.

301

Ciested Pheasant. 250.

Quail, Black-lluoaied. 134.

Quail, Cuniana. 131.

Quail, Curacoa. 128.

Quail, Leyland's. 132.

Quail, Shoil- 131.

Quail, Sonnini's. 130.

(^uail, ^\■hite-l)l•easte^l. 134.

Quail, W'hite-factHl. 130.
ciistata, Gutteia. 97, 98, 99.

Meleagris. 226.

Numida. 97, 100.

Penelope. 226.

Salpiza. 226, 227.

Tetrao. 115.
cristatus, Eupsychortyx. 12S, 1 30.

Opisthocomus. 259.

Pavo. 77.

Phasianus. 259.

Tetrao. 128.
Cuban Colin. 140.
cubanensis, Colinus. I40.

Ortyx. 140.
cujubi, Penelope, 253.

Pipile. 253.
Cumana Crested Quail. 131.
cumanensis, Crax. 250.

Penelope. 251.

Pipile. 250, 251.
cumingi, Megapodius. 169.
Cuming's Megapode. 169.
Curacoa Crested Quail. 128.
Curassow, Crested. 200, 201.

Daubenton's Wattled. 209.

Gray's. 206.

Heck's. 205.

Helmeted. 210.

Lesser Razor-billed. 215.

Mexican. 202.

Natterer's. 202.

Panama. 204 .

Prince Albert's Wattled. 211.

Salvin's Razor-billed. 215.

Sclater's. 202.

Spix's Wattled. 20S.

Wattled. 206.
Curassows. 197.

Flat Crested. 2 1 1.

Helmeted. 216.

Razor-bil]e<l. 213, 214.

Curassows, True. 200.
Curly-crested Cuinea-l'owl. ico.
cuvieri, Tallegallus. 189. 190.
Cuvier's lirush-Turkey. 189.
Cyrtonyx. 145.

massena. 146,

niontezumce. 149.

occllatus. 149.

salUvi. 148.

sumichra^ti. 149.

Dactylortyx. 149.

thoracicus. 150.
Damara-land Plelmeted Guinea*

Fowl, 92.
Dark-billed P>rush Turkey. 190.
daubentoni, Crax. 209, 211,

217.
Daubenton's Wattled Curassow.

209, 210.
decollatus, Megapodius. 1 7 1.

Phasianus. 28.
Dendrortyx. 112.

barbatus. 113.

leucophrys. 114.

macrourus. 112, 113.
dentata, Perdix. 152.
dentatus, Odontophorus. 154.
derl)ianus, Oreophasis. 218.
Derby's Mountain Pheasant. 218.
dillwyni, Megapodius. 169.
Djangul. 190.
dorrandti, Phasianus. 2 1 .
douglasi, Lophortyx. 126.
douglasii, Ortyx. 126.
Douglas's Quail. 126.
duperreyi, Megapodius. 175, 190,

194.
Duperrey's Megapode. 175.
dussumieri, Hemipodius. 273.

Turnix. 271, 273, 278.

Earl of Derby's Mountain Pliea-

sant. 218.
Ecuador Chestnut-winged Guan.

249.
edouardi, Guttera. 98.

Numida. 98.
clegans, Callipepla. I25.
Ortyx. 126.

302

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

elcgans, Phasianus. 29, 30, 31,

33-
ellioti, Calnpliasis, 41, 42, 43.

Meleagris. 105, 106.

Numida. lOO.

Phasianus. 41.
Elliot's Turkey. 105.
emphanum, Polyplectron. 66.
crcmita, Mcgapodius. 172, 173,

174.
erytluognalha, Crax. 201.
erythrops, Odonto])horus. 156.
erythroptera, Ortalida. 249.

Ortalis. 249, 250.
crythrorhynchus, Ourax. 214.
Eulipoa. 184.

wallacii. 185.
Eupsychortyx. 1 28.

cristatus. 1 28, 130.

gouldi. 128.

hypolcucus. 134.

Icucofrenatus. 132.

Icucopogon. 130, 131.

leylaiidi. 132.

mocquerysi. 1 31.

nigrogularis. 133.

parvicristatus, 1 31.

sonninii. 130, 131, 132, 133.

Faisan de la Guiane. 235.
fasciata, Turniv:. 268, 269.
fasciatus, Ilemipodius. 268.

Ortyx. 127.

Philortyx. 127.
fasciolata, Crax. 202,203,211.
fera, Meleagris. 106,
ferrugineus, Gallus. 48.

Te'trao. 48.
Flat-crested Curassows. 211.
Florida Bob- White. 1 38.

Colin. 138, 141.

Turkey. 108.
floridanus, Ortyx. 138, 139.
Fool Quail. 147.
Formosa Ring-necked Pheasant.

27.
formosanus, Phasianus. 24, 27.
forsteni, Megapodius. 171, 172.
Forsten's Megapode. 171.
Fowl. Black Tail-less. 49.

Fowl, Japanese. 49.

Jungle. 47.
Francolin, Crawshay's. 294.
PVancolinus crawshayi. 294.
frantzii, Ortalida. 249.
freycineti, Megapodius, 179, 180.
Freycinet's Megapode. 179.
tVonticornis, Penelope. 218.
furcatus, Gallus, 59,
fusciroslris, Tallegallus. 190,

galeata, Crax. 216.

Pauxi. 216,

Pauxis. 216.
Gallina volcanica. 257,
gallopavo ellioti, Meleagris, 105.
gallopavo, Meleagris, 103, 106,
107.

mexicana, Meleagris, 103, 106.

osceola, Meleagris. loS.
Gallus. 47.

aeneus. 60,

Ixankiva. 48.

fcrrugincu=;. 48.

furcatus. 59,

gallus. 48.

javanicus. 59.

lafayetti. 53, 56.

sonnerati, 55.

Stanley!, 53.

stramineicollis. 60.

temminckii. 60.

varius. 48, 59.

violaceus. 60.
gallus, Phasianus. 48,
gamheli, Callipepla, 124.

Lophortyx, 124.
Gambel's Quail. 124.
garrula, Ortalida. 248.

Ortalis. 248, 249,

Penelope. 248.
garrulus, Phasianus, 248.
Gasnadora, 228.
Geelvink Bay Megapode. 179.
geelvinkianus, Megapodius. 179.
germaini, Polyplectron, 64.
Germain's Peacock Pheasant. 64.
gibraltaricus, Tetrao. 270.
giganteus, Argus. 70.
gilbertii, Megapodius. 169,

ALniAEETICAL INDEX.

303

glohiccra, Crax. 202, 205, 207,

209.
glolnilosa, Crax. 2o8, 209.
(iolden Pheasant. 44.

Schlegcl's. 46.
Gorgeted Partridge. 161.
goudoti, Chama^petes, 256.
gnudotii, Ortalida. 256.
gouldi^ Eui)sychortyx. 128.

Mcgapodius. 175, 176.
gouldiana, Turnix. 289.
Governor Battenberg's Turkey.

260.
grant i, Nuniida. 100.
Graphophasianus scintillans. 39.
grayi, Argus. 73.

Argusianus. 73, 74, 75.

Crax. 206.

Penelope. 251.
Gray's Argus Pheasant, y^'

Curassow. 206.
graysoni, Ortyx. 142, 144.
lirayson's Colin. 142.
grccyi, Penelope. 223.
Greey's Penelope. 223.
Grey - headed Chestnut - winged
Guan. 249.

Guan. 238, 244.
Grey Jungle-fowl. 55.

Peacock-Pheasant. 61.
Guan, Black - breasted Sickle -
winged. 257.

Black-wattled. 254.

Chestnut-winged. 248.

Ecuador Chestnut-winged. 249.

Grey-headed. 238, 244.

Grey-headed Chestnut-winged.
249.

Guiana. 223, 235.

Jardine's. 237.

Lesser Grey-headed. 245.

Para. 236.

Rufous-breasted Sickle- winged.
256.

Rufous- headed. 236.

Spix's White-fronted. 241.

Wagler's. 237.

White-bellied. 239.

White-eyebrowed. 244.

White-fronted. 241.

Guan, White-vented. 247.
Guans. 220.

I'iping. 250.

Sickle-winged. 255.

Wattled. 253.
Guiana (nian. 223, 235.

Partridge. 152.
guianensis, Odontophorus. 152,

154, 158. 159, 161.

Tetrao. 152.
Guinea-Fowl, Abyssinian Ilel-
nietcd. 95.

Black. 84.

Black-chested. 98.

Black-collared. 97,

Common Helmeted. 87.

Curly-crested. 100.

Helmeted. 87.

Large Helmeted. 90.

Marungu Helmeted. 92.

Pallas's Plelmeted. 94.

Straight-crested. 100.

Turkey-like. Sj.

Vulturine. lOi, 102.

Zech's Helmeted. 90.
guttata, Ortalida. 238, 241.

Oitalis. 241.

Ortyx. 159.

Penelope. 241,

Tetrao. 146.
guttatus, Odontophorus. 159, 160,

161.
Guttera. 97.

cristata. 97, 98, 99.

edouardi. 98.

plumifera. 100.

pucherani. 100.

Haccha-Nualpa. 244.
Hanna. 260.

hardwickii, Polyplectron. 65.
Harlequin Quail, Massena. 146.

Ocellated. 149.

Salle's. 148.
Harlequin Quails. 145.
haynaldi, Turnix. 269.
hecki, Crax. 205.
Heck's Curassow. 205.
helence, Polyplectron. 61.
Helmeted Curassow. 210, 216.

;o4

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Jlelmcled Guinea-Fowl. 87.

Guinea-Fowl, Damara Land.
92.

Guinea-Fov.'l, Zech s. go.
Ilcmipodiur, castanotiis. 2S6.

chrysostoinus. 276.

duss\unieri. 273.

fasciatus. 268.

hottentottus. 275.

joudera. 278.

lepurana. 272.

lunatus. 270.

macidosus. 280.

melanogaster. 283.

melanotus. 280.

nanus. 275.

plunibipes. 265.

pugnax. 26S.

scintillans. 2S4.

sykesi. 273.

tachydromus, 270.

taigoor. 265.

thoracicus. 282.

variabilis. 276.

varius. 2S4.

viciarius. 276.
Hoatzin. 258, 259, 260.
hoatzin, Opisthocomus. 259.
Huatzins. 257.
hoazin, Opisthocomus. 258. 259.

Phasianus. 259.
Hoazins. 257.
Hocko. 205.
Honduras Turkey, no.
hottentottus, Hemipodius. 275.

Turnix. 275.
hueskeri, Megapodius. 172.
Hume's Pheasant. 42.
huin-re, Calophasis. 42.

Phasianus. 42.
huttoni, Megapodius. 183.
hyperythrus, Odontophorus. 156.
hypoleucus, Eujisychortyx. 13;.
hypospodius, Odontophorus. 156.

incommoda, Crax. 202.
Indian Bustard-Quail. 278.
indicus, Phasianus. 55.
inocellatus, Chalcurus. 69.
insignis, Phasianus. l8.

Island Bustard-Quail. 268.

jacquinii, Penelope. 251.
jacuaca, Penelope. 227.
jacucaca, Penelope. 229.

Salpiza. 229.
jacupelja, Penelope. 223, 230.
jacupema, Penelope. 223.
jacupemba, Penelope. 220.
jacutinga, Penelope. 251.
jacutinga, Pipile. 251. 253.
Japanese Fowl. 49.

Pheasant. 32.
Jardine's Guan. 237,
javanicus, Gallus. 59.

Pavo. 82.
Javan Jungle Fowl. 48, 59.
Jol)i Island Brush-Turkey. 191.
jol)iensis, Talegallus. 191.
joudera, Plemipodius. 278.

Turnix. 278.
JungIe-Fow4. 47.

Ceylon. 53.

Grey. 55.

Javan, 48, 59.

Kamur. 190.
Karo-Karo. 69.
katraca, Phasianus. 235.
Khannanay. 219.
Ki-ji. 35:

klossovskii, Phasianus. 17.
komarowii, Phasianus. 16.
Kosh. 224.

Lady Amherst's Pheasant. 46.
lafayetti, Gallus. 53, 56.
laperousii, Megapodius. 1 82, 183.
Large Helmeted (Guinea - Fowl.
90.

Reichenow's. 91.
lathami, Alectura. 192.

Catheturus. 192.

Talegalla. 192.
layardi, Megapodius. 180.
Layard's INIegapode. 180.
Leipoa. 187.

ocellata. 186.
lepurana, Ilemip.odius. 272.

Ortygis. 272.

ALPHAnLTICAL INDEX.

3-^5

lepiirana, TuniiN-, 272.

Lesser Grey-headed (iuan. 245.

Lesser Razor - billed Cinashinv.

215.
leucofrenatus, Eupsycliortyx. 132.
Icuccigaster, Turnix. 287.
leucojfastra, Ortalida. 247.

Ortalis. 246, 247.

Penelope. 247.
leucoKvmus, Odontophorus, 15S.
leucolophus, Penelope. 250.
leucophrys, Dendrortyx. 114.

Oityx, 114.
leucopogon, Eupsycliortyx. 130,

131.
Orlyx. 130.

leucoprosopon, Lophortyx. 294.
leucoptera, Penelope. 251.
leucotis, Ortyx. 130.
Ie}landi, Eupsychortyx. 132.

Ortyx. 132.
Leyland's Crested Quail. 132.
lichtensteinii, Penelope. 230.
lindesayii, Meleagris. 192.
lineatum, Polyplectron. 65.
lineolatus, Odontophorus. 150.
Lipoa. 186.

ocellata. 186, 1S7.
Little Bustard-(^uail. 273.
Long - legged Colin, Chestnut-

zi^ned. 162.
Long-nailed Partridges. 149, 150.
Long-tailed American Partridges.

112.
Long - tailed Bearded Partridge.

113-
Long-tailed Brush Turkey. 191.
Long-tailed Partridge. 112.
Long-tailed Partridge, White-eyc-

browed. 114.
longicaudus, Talegallus. 191.
Lophortyx. 120.

californicus. 121, 124, 125.

californicus brunnescens. 1 2 1 .

douglasi. 126.

ganibeli. 124,

leucoprosopon. 294.
lowi, Megapodius. 169.
lunatus, Ilemipodius. 270.
luzoniensis, Tetrao. 282.

12

niaccalli, Ortalida. 245.

Ortalis. 245.
niacgillivrayi, Megapodius. 174.
Macgillivray's Mega})ode. 174.
niacroura, Ortyx. 112.
niacrourus, iJendrortyx. 112, 113.
niacidatus, Turnix. 276, 280.
maculipennis, Numida. -87.
maculosa, Turnix. 276, 280, 281.
maculosus, Ilemipodius. 280.
Madagascar Bustard-Quail. 283.
^Lalayan I'eacock Pheasant. 65.
]\Laleo. 185, 197.
maleo, Megacephalon. 185, 197
Maleos. 163, 197.
Malow. 180, 181.
Manakaraka. 243.
marail, Penelope. 220, 222.

Salpiza. 223.
Marbled Partridge. 153.
marchei, Numida. 87.
marail, Penelope. 223.
jNIarianne Megapode. 183.
marilandicus, Tetrao. 135.
marmorata, Tetrao. 113,
marmoratus, Odontophorus, 153.
marungensis, Numida. 92.
Marungu Helmeted Guinea-Fowl,

92.
Masked Bob-White. 143.
Massena Harlequin Quail. 146.
massena, Cyrtonyx. 146.

Ortyx. 146.
jSIassena Partridge. 147.
Megacephalon. 197.

maleo. 185, 197.
Megapode, Astrolabe Bay. 172.

I3ernstein's. 171.

Brenchley's. 172.

Cuming's. 169.

Duperrey's. 175.

Forsten's. 171.

Freycinet's. 179.

Geelvink Bay. 179..

Layard's. 180.

Macgillivray's. 174.

Mar'anne. 183.

NicLbar. 165.

Pelew. 182.

Pritchard's. 183.

3o6

ALPHABETICAL INDEX

Megapode, Sanghir. 170.

Tenimber. 168.

Waiiace's Painted. 185.
Megapodes. 163, 186.

Ocellated. 186.

Painted. 185.
Megapodiidre. 163.
Megapodius. 164.

afilnis. 171, 179.

amboinensis. 175.

assimilis. 175-

bernsteini. 171.

brazieri. 180.

brenchleyi. 172.

brunneiventris. 172.

burnabyi. 183.

cumingi. 169.

decollatiis. 1 7 1.

dillwyni. 169

duperreyi. 175, 190, 194.

eremita. 172, 173, 174.

forsteni. 171, 172.

freycineti. 179, 180.

geelvinkianus. 179.

gilbertii. 169.

gouldi. 175, 176.

hueskeri. 172.

huttoni. 183.

laperousii. 182, 183.

layardi. 180.

lowi. 169.

maogillivrayi. I74-

nicobariensis. 165, 168, 170,
182.

perousii. 183.

pritchardi. 183.

pusillus. 169.

quoyi. 179.

reinwardtii. 175.

rubrifrons. 172.

rubripes. 175.

sanghirensis. 170.

senex. 182.

stairi. 183.

tenimberensis. 168.

trinkulensis. 195.

tumulus. 175.

wallacii. 185.
nielanogaster, Hemipodius. 2S3.

Turnix. 283.

melanonotus, Odontophorus. 157
melanotis, Odontophorus. 155.
melanotus, Hemipodius. 280.
meleagrides, Agelastes. 86.
Meleagris. 103.

americana. 104, 106, no.

aureus, no.

cristata. 226.

ellioti. 105, 106.

fera. 106.

gallopavo. 103, 106, 107.

gallopavo ellioti. 105.

gallopavo mexicana. 103, 106.

gallopavo osceola. 108.

lindesayii. 192.

mexicana. 103.
meleagris, Numida. 87, 90, 91.

Odontophorus. 146.
Meleagris ocellata. no.

osceola. 108.

palawa. 106.

silvestris. 106.
Mexican Barred Partridges. 127.

Curassovv. 202.

Turkey. 103.
mexicana, Meleagris. 103.
mexicanus, Tetrao. 135.
microurus, Pedionomus. 289.
mikani, Crax. 209.
mitrata, Numida 94.
Milu. 213.
Mitua. 215.

brasili

214.
214.

salvini. 215.

tomentosa. 215.

tuberosa. 214.
mitu, Crax. 201, 214.

Mitua. 213, 214.

Ourax. 214.

Pauxi. 214.
Mituporanga. 201.
mocquerysi, Eupsychortyx. 13 1.
Mongolian Ring-necked Pheasant.

22.
mongolicus, Phasianus. 18, 20,

22, 23.
Montagne's Guan. 221.

Penelope. 221.
muntagnii, Ortalida. 221.

AI.PHADETICAL INDEX.

307

montngnii, Penelope. 220. 221,
222.

StegnolL\;ma. 221.
montana, Penelope. 230.
Monte Piyu. 213.
montezumce, Cyrtonyx. 146.

Ortyx. 146.
motmot, Ortalida. 235.

Ortalis. 234, 235, 236.

Phasianus. 235.
Mountain- Pheasant, Earl of Der-
by's. 218.
Mountain - Pheasants, American.

215.
Mountain Quail. 118.
muticus, Pavo. 82.
Mutum. 214.
Mutung. 207, 208.

Nanaquah. 235.
nana, Turnix, 275.
napoleonis, Polyplectron. 66, 67.
Napoleon's Peacock-Pheasant. 66.
nattereri, Pipile. 251.
Natterer's Curassow. 202.
nehrkornte, Polyplectron, 67.
neoxenus, Ortyx. 128.

Perdix. 128,
New Britain Bustard- Quail. 281.
New Guinea Wattled Brush -Tur-
key. 196.
Ngou-oo. 187.
Nicobar Bustard-Quail. 279.

Megapode. 165.
nicobariensis, Megapodius. 165,

168, 170, 182.
riger, Penelope. 233.

Phasidus. 85.
nigra; Penelopina. 233.
nigrescens, Turnix. 269.
nigricapilla, Penelope. 225.
nigricollis, Tetrao. 283.

Turnix. 283.
nigrifrons, Penelope. 251.
nigripennis, Pavo. 81.
nigrogularis, Eupsychortyx. 133.

Ortyx. 133, 134.

segoviensis, Colinus. 133.
Nothucrax. 211.

urumutum. 21 1, 212.

Nuniida. 87.
cornuta, 91, 92, 94.
coronata. 91.
coronata marungensis. 92.
cristata. 97, 100.
edouardi. 98.
ellioti. 100.
granti. 100.
maculipennis. 88.
marchei. 88.
marungensis. 92.
meleagris. 87, 90, 91.
mitrata. 94.
orientalis. 89.
papillosa. 92.
plumifera. 100.
ptilorhyncha, 95.
ptylorhyncha. 95.
pucherani. 100.
reichenowi. 91.
rendallii. 88.
tiarata. 94
verreauxi. 98.
vulturina. 102.
zechi. 90.

obscura, Penelope. 225.

Thaumalea. 49.
obiicurus, Chrysolophus. 46.
ocellata, Leipoa. 186.

Lipoa. 186, 187.

Meleagris. 1 10.

Ortygis. 282,

Turnix. 282.
Ocellated Harlequin Quail. 149.

Megapodes. 186
ocellatus, Argus. 75.

Cyrtonyx. 149.

Oriolus. 282.

Ortyx. 149.

Rheinardtius. 75, 76.

Turnix. 265.
ochrogaster, Penelope. 229.
OdontophorinK. 1 1 2.
Odontophorus. 151.

balliviani. 160.

capueira. 154.

cinctus. 162.

culumbianus. i6r.

cunsobrinub. 159.

X 2

3o8

ALniABETICAL INDEX.

Odontophorus dentatus. 154.

erythrops. 156.

guianensis. 152, 154, 158, 159,
161.

guttatus. 159, 160, 161.

hyperythrus. 156, 157.

hypospodius. 156.

leucoliemus. 158.

lineolatiis. 150.

marmoratus. 153.

melanonotus. 157.

melanotis. 155.

meleagris. 146.

pachyrhynchus. 152.

rufus. 152.

speciosus. 157,

spodiostethus. 162.

stellatus. 158.

strophium. 161.

veraguensis. 160.
Old English Pheasant. 9.
Oooregootga Rambal. 176.
Opisthocomidae. 258.
Opisthocomus. 258.

cristatus. 259.

hoatzin. 259.

hoazin. 258, 259.
Oreophasis. 217, 219.

derbianus. 218.
Oreortyx pictus. 118.

plumiferus, 118.
orientalis, Numida. 89.
Oriolus ocellatus. 282.
Ortalida adspersa. 241.

araucuan. 236.

bronzina. 237.

canicollis. 238.

caracco. 241.

erythropt^ra. 249.

frantzii. 249.

garrula, 248.

goudolii, 256.

guttata. 238, 241.

leucogastra. 247.

maccalli. 245.

montagnii. 221.

motmot. 235.

plumbiceps. 245.

poliocephala. 244, 249.

ruficauda. 237.

Ortalida ruficeps. 235,

ruficrissa. 245.

squamata. 240.

vetula. 240.

wagleri. 237.
Oitalis. 234.

albiventer. 239, 241.

albiventris. 239.

araucuan. 236.

canicollis. 238.

caracco. 241.

cinereiceps. 249.

erythroptera. 249, 250.

garrula. 248, 249.

guttata. 241.

leucogastra. 246, 247.

maccali. 245.

motmot. 234, 235, 236.

pallidiventris. 245.

poliocephala. 244, 245.

ruficauda. 237.

ruficeps. 236,

squamata. 240.

superciliaris. 244.

vetula. 244.

wagleri. 236, 237.
ortoni, Penelope. 224, 230.
Orton's Guan. 224.

Penelope. 224.
Ortygis lepurana. 272.

ocellata. 282.
Ortyx atriceps. 144.

californicus. 121.

capistrata. 154.

castaneus. 145.

coyolcos. 144.

cubanensis. 140.

douglasii. 126.

elegans. 126.

fasciatus. 127.

graysoni. 142, 144.

guttata. 159.

leucophrys. 114.

leucupogon. 130.

leucotis. 130.

leylandi. 132.

macroura. 112.

marmoratus. 152.

massena. 146.

muntezum.Te. 146.

Ar,PIIAEETICAL INDEX.

309

(3ily\ ncoxcnus. 128.
nigi"i)gularis. 134.
ocellatus. 149.
parvicristatus. 131.
pectoralis. 142, 143, 14.;.,
penotiana. 127.
picta. 118.
pliimifeia. iiS.
riclgwayi. 143, 144.
spilogastcr. 126.
stellata. 158.
S(]uan-iatus. 115.
stropliiuni. 161.
tcminincki. 128.
texanus. 139, 142,
thoracicus. 150.
virginianus. 135, 139, 140, 143,

virginianus floiidanus. 138.
osceola, Meleagris. 108.
Ourax erytlirorhyncus. 214.

mitu. 214.
oxianus, Phasianus. 21.
Oxus Pheasant. 20.

pachyihynchus, Odontophorus.

152.
Painted Megapode, Wallace's. 185.
Pajuil. 205.
palawa, jMeleagris. 106.
Pallas's Ilelnietcd Guinea-Fowl.

94.
pallida, Callipepla. 115.
pallidiventris, Ortalis. 245.
Panama Curassow. 204.
panamensis, Crax. 204, 206.
]")apillosa, Numida. 92.
Papuan Wattled Brush-Turkeys.

195-
Para Guan. 236.
parraka, Phasianus. 235.
Partridge. 136.

American. 112.

Ballivian's Spotted. 160.

Barred. 127.

Barred Mexican. 127.

Black. 147.

Black-breasted. 158.

Black-eared. 155.

Black-eyebruwed. 157.

I'arlridge, Capueira. 154.

Caracas Spotted. 161.

Chestnut-bellied Scaly. 117.

Chestnut-eared. 156.

Chestnut-throated. 156.

Cholmley's See-see. 293.

Gorget ed. 161.

Guiana. 152.

I.ong-tailed. 112.

Long-tailed P.earded. 113.

Mar'hled. 153.

Massena. 147.

Plumed. 118.

Spatz's Red-legged. 293.

Kufous-breastecl. 157.

Scaled. 115, 140.

Scaly. 114, 115.

Spotted. 159.

Starred. 158.

Valley. 122.

Yeragua Spotted. 160.

Virginia. 136.

White-eyebrowed Long - tailed.
114.
Partridges, Long-nailed. 149, 150.

Long-tailed American. 112.

Thick-billed. 151.
parvicristatus, Eupsychortyx. 131.

Ortyx. 131.
Pauxi. 205, 216.
Pauxi galeata. 216.

mitu. 214.

tomentosa. 21=;.
pauxi, Crax. 216.

Pauxis. 210, 216.
Pauxis. 216.

galeata. 216.

pauxi. 210, 216.
I'ava. 227.
Pava negra. 255.
Pavo. 77.

aldrovandi. 82.

bicalcaratus. 65.

chinquis. 61.

cristatus. 77.

javanicus. 82.

niuticus. 82.

nigripennis. Si.

spicifer. 82.

spiciferus. 82.

3IO

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Pavo tibetanus. 6i.
Pavo del Monte, ill, 226.
pavoninus, Argus. 70.
Peacock, Black-shouldeied. 81.
Peacock- Pheasant. 60.

Bornean. 66.

Germain's. 64.

Grey. 61.

Malayan. 65.

Napoleon's. 66.
Peacock-Pheasants, Bronze-tailed.

68.
Pea-Fowl. 77.

Common. 77.

Burmese. 82.
pecturaiis, Coturnix. 285.

Ortyx. 142, 143, 144.
Pedionomus. 289.

microurus. 289.

torquatus. 289.
Pelew, Megapode. 182.
Penelope, 220.

aburri. 254.

adspersa. 241.

albipennis. 230.

albiventer. 247.

albiventris. 239.

aracuan. 236.

araucuan. 236.

argyrotis. 220, 222, 230.

Bar-tailed. 230.

Bolivian. 227.

boliviana. 227.

brasiliensis, 226.

Bridges'. 225.

bridgesi. 225.

Brown. 229.

canicollis. 238.

Chestnut-bellied. 229.

Crested. 226.

cristata. 226.

cujubi. 253.

cumanensis. 251.

fronticornis. 218.

garrula. 248.

greeyi. 223.

greyi. 251.

Guiana. 223.

guttata. 241.

jacquinii. 251,

Penelope jacuaca. 227.

jacucaca. 229.

jacupeba. 223, 230.

jacupema. 223.

jacupemba. 220.

jacutinga. 251.

leucogastra. 247.

leucolophus. 250.

leucoptera. 251.

lichtensteinii. 230.

marail. 220, 222, 223.

Montagne's. 221.

montagnii. 220, 221, 222.

montana. 230.

niger. 233.

nigra. 233.

nigricapilla. 225.

nigrifrons. 251.

obscura. 225.

ochrogaster. 229.

ortoni. 224, 230.

Orton's. 224.

pileata. 228, 229.

pipile. 251.

poliocephala. 244.

Purple. 224.

purpurascens. 223, 224, 225.

ruficeps. 236.

rufiventris. 256.

sclateri. 220, 222, 230, 254.

superciliaris. 220, 229.

vetula. 245.

White-eyebrowed. 220.

White-headed. 228.

White-winged. 230.
Perdix capueira. 154.

dentata. 152.

neoxenus.. 128.

rufina. 152.

sonnini. 130.

varius. 284.

virginiana. 135.
Perdiz. 133.

perousii, Megapodius. 183.
perrotiana, Ortyx. 127.
Persian Pheasant. 15.
persicus, Phasianus. 15, 16, 22,
24-

talischensis, Phasianus. 14.
personatus, Philortyx. 127.

ALPHARETICAt INDEX.

3"

Phasianidoe. I.
l'hasianiiia\ i.
Phasianus. 6.

albotorquatus. 24.

amherstia?. 46.

argus. 70.

chrysomelas. 16, 20, 23.

colchicus. 9, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22,
24, 26, 27, 29, 33.

colchicus septentrionalis. 9.

criatatus. 259.

dccollatus. 28.

dorrandti. 21.

elegans. 29, 30, 31, 33.

ellioti. 41.

formosanus. 24, 27.

gallus. 48.

garrulus. 248.

hoazin. 259.

humice. 42.

indicus. 55.

insignis. 18.

katraca. 235.

klossovskii. 16.

komarowii. 16.

mongolicus, 18, 20, 21, 23.

niotmot. 235.

oxianus. 21.

panaka. 235.

persicus. 15, 16, 22, 24.

persicus talischensis. 14.

pictus. 45.

pictiis obscurus. 46.

principalis. 16, 18, 21.

reevesii. 37.

satscheunensis. 27.

scintillans. 36.

semitorquatus. 23.

shawi. 18, 20, 21.

sladeni. 31.

soemmerringi. 34

scemmerringii. 36.

staceii. 2.

strauchi. 28, 29, 32.

talischensis. 14, 15.

tarimensis. 20.

tarnovskii. 17.

torquatus. 24, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 39-

varius. 59.

Phasianus veneratus. 37,

versicolor. 24, 32.

vlangalii. 29, 30.

zarafshanicus. 17.
Phasidus. 84.

niger. 85.
Pheasant, Argus. 70.

Par-tailed. 40.

Cheer. 2.

Chinese Kingless. 28.

Chinese Ring-necked. 24.

Common. 9.

Crested. 259.

Earl of Derby's Mountain. 21S.

Formosan, Ring-necked. 27.

Golden. 44.

Japanese. 32.

Lady Amherst's. 46.

Mrs, Hume's. 43.

Ox us. 20.

Peacock. 60.

Persian. 15.

Prince of Wales'. 16.

Reeves's. 37.

Sa-tschen Ring-necked. 27.

Severtzov's Ring-necked. 23.

Shaw's. 18.

Soenimerring's. 34.

Stinking. 260.

Stone's. 31.

Strauch's. 29.

Talisch. 14.

Tarim. 20.

Vlangali's. 30.

Zerafshan. 17.
Pheasants, American Mountain.
217.

Barred backed. 41.
Philippine Bustaid-(^)uail. 268.
Philortyx. 127.

fasciatus. 127.

personatus. 127.
picta, Ortyx. 118.

Thaumalca. 45.
pictus, Chrysolopus. 45, 46, 47.

obscurus, Phasianus. 46.

Oreortyx, 118.

Phasianus. 45, 46.

plumiferus, Oreortyx. 118.
pileata, Penelope. 228, 229.

312

ALrHAEETICAL INDEX.

pileata, Salpiza. 22S,
pinima, Crax. 202, 209.
Pipile argyrotis. 230.

cujubi. 253.

cuuianensis. 250, 251.

jacutinga. 251, 253.

nattereri. 251.
pipile, Penelope. 251.

Crax. 250,
Piping Guan, Amazonian. 253.

Black-fronted. 251.

White-headed. 250.

Guans. 250.
Pischa. 256.

Plain- Wanderer, Collared. 289, 290.
Plain Wanderers. 262, 289.
plumbiceps, Ortalida. 245.
l)lumbipes, Ilemipodius. 265.

Turnix. 265.
Plumed Partridge. 118.
plumifera, Guttera. 100.

Numida. 100.

Ortyx. 118.
poliocephala, Ortalida, 244, 249.

Ortalis. 244, 245.

Penelope. 244.
Polypi ectron. 60.

atelospilum. 61.

bicalcaratum. 65, 66.

chalcurum. 69.

chinquis. 60, 61, 64, 65.

emphanum. 66.

germaini. 64.

hardwickii. 65.

helenre. 61.

napoleonis. 66.

nehrkorna;. 66.

schleiermacheri. 66.

tibetanum. 61, 64.
Polyplectrum chalcurum. 69.
powelli, Turnix. 270.
Prince Albert's Wattled Curassow.

211.
Prince of Wales' Pheasant. 16.
principalis, Phasianus. 16, 18, 21.
]-)ritchardi, Megapodius. I S3.
Pritchard's Megapode. 183.
pseudalector, Crax. 203.
ptilorhyncha, Numida. 95.
ptylorhyncha, Numida. 95.

Puca-cunga. 228.
pucherani, GuUera. 100.

Numida. 100.
pagnax, IIemi]-)odius. 268.

Turnix. 26S.
Purple (juan. 224.

Penelope. 224.
purpurascens, Penelope. 223, 224,
225.

Salpiza. 224.
pusillus, IMegapodius. 169.
pyrrhopygius, Talegallus. 196.
pyrrhothorax, Turnix. 287, 288.

Quail. 134, 136.

American. 112.

Black-throated. 134.

Black-throated Crested. 134.

Blue. 115.

Bustard. 265.

Button. 273.

Californian. 120, 121.

Crested Cumana. 131.

Crested Cura9ao. 128.

Crested, Leyland's. 132.

Crested, Sonnini's. 130.

Crested, White-faced. 130.

Douglas's. 126.

P'ool. 147.

Gambels'. 124.

Massena Harlequin. 146.

Mountain. 118.

Ocellated Harlequin. 149.

Salle's Plarlequin. 148.

Short-crested. 131.

White-breasted Crested. 134.

Whitehead's Bustard. 276.

White top-knot. 115.
Quails, Crested. 128.

Harlequin. 145.

Three-toed. 262.
Qualms. 227.
Querelea tiarata. 94.
quoyi, IMegapodius. 279.

Razor-billed Curassow, Lesser.

Curassows. 213, 214.
Salvin's. 215,
Red-legged Partridge, Spatz's. 293.

AI.PHAEETICAT, INDEX.

3^3

Kol Jungle- 1\.\\1. 4S.

Javan junglc-fDwl. 60.
rccvcsii, Phasianus. ^j.

Syrinaticus. 37.
liccves's riicasant. 37.
leichenowi, Numida, 91, 94.
Reichenow's Lari^e lielincted

Guinea- Fowl. 91.
reinwardtii, ISIcgapodius. 175.
lendallii, Numida. Sj.
rheinardti, Argus. 76.
]\heinardtiu.s. 75.
Rheinardlius ocellatiis;. 75, 76.
Rheinaidt's Argus I'heasant. 75.
Rliynchortyx. 162.

cinctus. 162, 163.

spodiostethus. 162, 163.
ridgwayi, Colinus. 143.

Orlyx. 143, 144.
Ridgway's Colin. 143.
Ringless Chinese Pheasant. 28.
Ring-necked Chinese Pheasant.
24.

Pheasant, Foimosan. 27.

Pheasant, Mongolian. 22.

Pheasant, Sa-tschen. 27.

Pheasant, Severtzcv's. 23.
rostrata, Turnix. 265,
rubra, Crax. 202, 205.
rubrifrons, Megapodius. 172.
rul)ripes, Megapodius. 175.
rubrirostris, Crax. 206.
rufescens, Turnix, 281.
nificauda, Ortalida. 237.

Ortalis. 237.
ruficeps, Ortalida. 236.

Ortalis. 236.

Penelope. 236.
ruficrissa, Ortalida. 245.
rufilatus, Turnix. 269, 270
rufina, Pi.'rdix. 152.
rufiventris, Penelope, 256.
Rufous-breasted Partridge. 157.

Sickle-winged Guan. 256.
Rufous-chested Bustard-Quail. 2S7.
Rufous-headed (juan. 236,
rufms, Odontophorus. 152.

Turnix. 282.

salK^i, Cyrtonyx. 148.

Salle's ilarlcfjuiii Quail. 148.
Salpiza cristata. 226.

jacucaca. 229.

marail. 223.

l)ileata. 228.

purpurascens. 224.

suj^erciliaris. 220.
salvini, Milua. 215.
Salvin's R.azor-billcd Curassow.

215.
sanghirensis, Megapodius. 170.
Sanghir Megapode. 170.
Sa-tschen Ring-necked Pheasant. 27
satschuenensis, Phasiaiuis. 27.
saturata, Turnix. 281, 282.
Scaled Partridge. 115, 140.

Chestnut Bellied. 118.
Scaly (juan. 240.
Scaly Partridge. 114.

Chestnut-bellied. 117.
Schacuperaba. 221.
Schlegel's Golden Pheasant. 46.
schlciermacheri, Polyplectron. 66.
scintillans, Phasianus. 36.

Graphophasianus. 36.

Ilemipodius. 284.
sclateri, Crax. 202.

Penelope. 220, 222, 230, 254.
Sclater's Guan. 222.

Curassow. 202.
See-see Partridge, Cholmley's. 293
segoviensis, Colinus. 133,
semitorquatus, Phasianus. 23.
senex, Megapodius. 182.
septcntrionalis, Phasianus. 9.
Severtzov's Ring-necked Pheasant.

22.
shawl, Phasianus. 18, 20, 21.
Shaw's Pheasant. 18.
Short-crested Quail. 131.
Sickle - winged Guan, Black-
breasted. 257.

Rufous-breasted. 256.

Guans. 255.
silvestris, Meleagris. io5.
sladeni, Phasianus. 31.
sloanei, Crax. 201.
Smith's Bustard-Quail. 272.
Snow-cock, Tibetan. 20.
Sockle. 129.

3U

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

soemmerringi, Phasianus. 34.
soemmerringii, Phasianus. 36.
Soemmerring's Copper Pheasant.

34-
sonnerati, Callus. 55.
sonninii, Eupsychortyx. 130, 231,

133-

Perdix. 130.
Sonnini's Crested Quail. 130.
South African Bustard-Quail. 275.
Southern Chanticleer. 58.
spatzi, Caccabis. 293.
Spatz's Red-legged Partridge. 293.
speciosus, Odontophorus. 157.
spicifer, Pavo. 82.
spiciferus, Pavo. 82.
spilogaster, Ortyx. 126.
Spix's Wattled Curassow. 208.

White-fronted Guan. 241.
spodiostethus, Odontophorus. 162.

Rhynchortyx. 162, 163.
Spotted Partridge. 1 59.

Ballivian's, 160.

Caracas. 161.

Veragua. 160.
squamata, Callipepla. 115, 117.

Ortalida. 240.

Ortalis. 240.
squamatus, Ortyx. 1 1 5.
staceii, Phasianus. 2.
stairi, Megapodius. 183.
stanleyi, Callus. 53.
Starred Partridge. 158.
StegnoL^ma montagnii. 221.
stellata, Ortyx. 158.
stellatus, Odontophorus. 158.
Stinking Pheasant. 260.
Stone's Pheasant. 31.
Straight-crested Guinea-Fowl. 100.
stramineicollis, Callus. 60.
strauchi, Phasianus. 28, 29, 32.
Strauch's Pheasant. 29.
strenua, Callipepla. 115.
strophium, Odontophorus. 161.
strophium, Ortyx. 161.
Sumbawa Bustard-Quail. 270.
sumichrasti, Cyrtonyx. 149.
superciliaris. Ortalida. 244.

Ortalis. 244.

Penelope. 220. 229.

superciliaris, Salpiza. 220.
Swift Bustard-Quail. 28S.
sykesi, Ilemipodius. 273.
sylvatica, Turnix. 270, 272, 273.
sylvaticus, Tetrao. 270.
Synoicus australis. 285.
Syrmaticus, 7.
reevesii. 37.

tachydromus, Ilemipodius. 270.
taigoor, Hemipodius. 295.

Turnix. 265, 278.
Tail-less Fowl. 49.
Talegalla lathami. 192.
Talegallus arfakianus. 196.

bruijnii. 195.

cuvieri. 189, 190.

fuscirostris. 190.

jobiensis. 191.

longicaudus. 191.

pyrrhopygius. 1 96.

Wattled. 194.
Talisch Pheasant. 14.
talischensis, Phasianus. 14, 15.
Tallegallus longicaudus. 191.
tanki, Turnix. 278.
tarimensis, Phasianus. 20.
Tarim Pheasant. 20.
tarnovskii, Phasianus. 17.
temminckii, Crax. 203.

Callus. 60.

Ortyx. 128.
Temminck's Bustard -Quail. 280.
tenimberensis, Megapodius. 168.
Tenimber Megapode. 168.
Tetrao andalusicus. 270.

californicus. 121.

coyolcos. 144.

cristata. 1 1 5.

cristatus. 128.

ferrugineus. 48.

gibraltaricus. 270.

guianensis. 152.

guttata. 146.

luzoniensis. 282.

marilandicus. 135.

marmorata. 113.

mexicanus. 135.

nigricoUis. 283.

sylvaticus. 270,

ALPHABETICAL INDEX

315

Tctrao viri^inianus. 135.
Tetraogallus tihetanus. 20.
Texan liob-White. 139, 140.

Colin. 139.
texanus, Colinus. 139.

Oityx. 139, 142.
Thaunialca. 44.

amherstice. 47.

obscuia. 46.

picta. 45.
Thick-billed Partridcjcs. 151.
thoracicus, Dactylortyx. 150.

lleniipodius. 282.

Ortyx. 150.
Three-toed or Bustard-Quails. 267.

(Quails. 262.
tiarata, Numida. 94.

()ucrelea. 94.
Tibetan Snow-cock. 20.
tibetanum, Polyplectron. 61, 64.
tibetaniis, Pavo. 61.

Tetraogallus. 20.
Tock'ro. 153.
tomentosa, Crax. 215.

Mitua. 215.

Pauxi. 215.

Urax. 215.
Top-knot Quail, White. 115.
torquatus, Pedionomus. 289.

Phasianus. 24, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 39-
Touie. 204.

trinkutensis, Megapodius. 165.
True Curassows. 200.

Pheasants. 6.
tschudii, Chamrepetes. 256.
tuberosa, Crax. 214.

Mitua. 214.
tumulus, Megapodius. 175.
Turkey, American. 106.

Elliot's. 105.

Florida. 108.

Governor Battenberg's. 260.

Honduras, no.

Mexican. 103.
Turkey, Wild. 107.

Yacon. 253.
Turkey-like Guinea-Fowl. 86.
Turkeys, Brush, 163, 1S8.
Turnicidje. 263.

Turnix africanus. 270.
albiventris. 280.
beccarii. 280.
blanfordi. 277, 279, 280.
castanonota. 287.
dussumieri. 271, 273, 279.
fasciata. 268. 269.
gouldiana. 289.
haynaldi. 269.
hottcntotta. 275.
joudcra. 278.
lepurana. 272.
leucogaster. 287.
maculatus. 276, 280.
maculosa. 276, 280, 281.
melanogaster. 284.
nana. 275.
nigresceis. 269.
nigricc Iks. 284.
ocellala. 283.
ocellatus. 265.
plumbipes. 265.
powelli. 270.
pugnax. 268.
pyrrhothorax. 288.
rostrata. 265.
rufescens. 282.
rufilatus. 269, 270.
rufus. 282.
saturata. 282.
sylvatica. 270, 272.
taigoor. 265, 278.
tanki. 278.
Varied. 285.
varius. 285.
velox. 289.
whiteheadi. 276.

Uataraku. 243.

unicolor, Chamrepetes. 257.

Urax tomentosa. 215.

urumutum. 212.

Crax. 211.

Nothocrax. 211, 212.

Urax. 212.
urvilii, Alecthelia. 179.

validirostris, Crax. 211.
Valley Partridge. 122.
vallicola, Callipepla. 121..

3i6

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

variabilis, Ilcmipudius. 276.
Varied Tiunix. 285.
Variegated Bustard- Quail, 2S4.
varius, Gallus. 48, 59.

Hemipodius, 284.

Perdix. 284.

Phasianus. 59.

Turnix. 284.
velox, Turnix. 288.
veneratus, Phasianus. 37.
venusta, Callipepla. 124.
\'eragua Spotted Partridge. 160.
veraguensis, Odontophorus. 160.
versicolor, Phasianus. 24, 32.
vetula, Ortalida. 245.

Ortalis. 244.

Penelope. 245.
viciarius, Hemipodius. 276.
violaceus, Gallus. 60.
Virginia Partridge. 136.
Virginian Colin. 135.
virginiana, Perdix. 135.
virginianus, Colinus. 135.

Ortyx. 135, 139, 140, 143, 144.

Tetrao. 135.
vlangalii, Phasianus. 29, 30.
Vlangali's Pheasant. 30.
vulturina, Numida. 102.
Vulturine Guinea-fowl. loi, 102.
vulturinum, Acryllium. 102.

wagleri, Ortalida. 237.

Ortalis. 236, 237.
Wagler's Guan. 237.
Waigiou Wattled Brush-Turkey,

^165.
Wallace's Bustard-Quail. 281.

Painted INIegapode. 1S5.
wallacii, Magapodius. 185.
wallichij Catreus. i, 2.

wallichii, Phasianus. I.
Wanderers, Plain. 262, 289.
Wattled Brush-Turkey. 192.

New Guinea. 196.
Wattled Curassow. 206.

Daubenton's. 209.

Prince Albert's. 211.

Spix's. 208.
Wattled Guan, Black. 254.

Talegallus. 194.
White-l)ellied Guan. 239.
White - breasted Crested Quail.

. 134-
White - eyebrowed Guan. 220,
244.

Long-tailed Partridge. 114.

Penelope. 220.
White-faced Crested Quail. 130.
White-fronted Guan. 241.
White-headed Penelope. 228.

Piping-Guan. 250.
whiteheadi, Turnix. 276.
Whitehead's Bustard-Quail. 276.
White Top-knot Quail. 115.
White-vented Guan. 247.
White-winged Penelope. 230.
Wild Turkey. 107.
Wood-Peacock. 227.
Wood's Argus Pheasant. 74.

53-

Yacon Turkey.
Yacuhu. 226.
yarrcUii, Crax. 206

zarafshanicus, Phasianus. 17.
Zerafshan Pheasant. 17.
zechi, Numida. 90.
Zech's Ilelmeled Guinea - Fowl.
90.

IHatiual Ibistoi'v, iic.

ALLEN'S
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::iH:.::

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„ in. ...

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BEETLES, CRICKETS, &c.

BEES

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. n

„in

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AMNH LIBRARY

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