Chapter 17

THE KALEEGE, OR BLACK PHEASANT (Euplocamus-Gallophasis-melanotus).

Birds of this species resident in the Zoological Gardens in London have repeatedly bred there.

THE SILVER PHEASANT.

The SILVERPHEASANT(Nycthemerus argentatus, orEuplocamus nycthemerus) differs from the preceding, which in other respects it closely resembles, in the long ragged crest on its head, and the wedge-like form of its tail. The feathers of the latter are placed in heights, those in the centre curving rather towards the sides than downwards. This magnificent bird is white on the nape and mantle, the feathers of the latter being traced with delicate zigzag black lines. The black under side has a steel-blue lustre, the quills are white, edged and streaked with black; the tail-feathers aresimilarly coloured, their markings becoming gradually broader towards the tips. The long thick crest is glossy black, the bare cheek scarlet, the eye light brown, the beak blueish white, and the foot coral-red. This species is thirty-two inches long.

From the date of its first introduction into Europe the Silver Pheasant has been everywhere regarded as more fitted to be an ornament of our aviaries than a denizen of our woods, and, when so treated, has rewarded us for our pains. It may, indeed, be said to be completely naturalised in a domesticated state, and it could doubtless be established in our woods, were such a measure desirable; but to effect this with success no other species of Pheasants must be kept within its precincts, the pugnacious nature of this tribe of birds not admitting of the near proximity of two species, as the certain result would be a constant succession of battles, almost invariably ending, as is known to be the case when the Domestic Cock and Pheasant meet, in the death of the weaker bird.

THE SILVER PHEASANT (Nycthemerus argentatus, orEuplocamus nycthemerus).

Our country is not, perhaps, after all, well adapted either for this bird or its near allies, theEuplocami, which have been only recently introduced. The Silver Pheasant has been found to bear confinement well, and with but ordinary care its propagation is usually attended with success. After the autumn moult, its pencilled markings are exceedingly elegant and graceful; as spring advances its rich comb and wattle become enlarged, and of a most vivid scarlet, offering a striking contrast to its delicate pea-green bill. The colouring of the female is altogether sombre, and devoid of that sparkling brilliancy which so eminently adorns her mate, making him conspicuous even among the gayest of his congeners.

The PHEASANTS PROPER (Phasiani) are recognisable by their long tail, the feathers of which are placed vertically, those in the centre being six or eight times as long as those at the sides, while those of the upper tail-covers have ragged or rounded tips. Their head is without a crest, but has a small upright tuft of feathers close to each ear. The plumage of the male is always beautiful, often most brilliant; but that of the female is comparatively sombre, with dark markings. The native countries of these birds are the mountainous parts of Asia, extending even to Japan; some species, however, have become naturalised in the temperate part of Europe. During the day they are found lying concealed in jungles, covers, and long grass, living in divided societies, of different sex. Towards the spring they separate into families, consisting of a male and several females; the party generally taking possession of a certain locality, from which the commander is very particular in driving away all male intruders. When suddenly disturbed, they endeavour to escape by using their legs rather than their wings. Their flight is rapid and noisy when first started, but is sustained only for a short distance. Various kinds of grain and insects form their principal food; these are usually sought for at sunset. They also consume bulbous roots, which are obtained by means of their bill and feet. Their eggs are deposited on long grass, without any kind of nest, and are about ten in number.

THE COMMON PHEASANT.

The COMMONPHEASANT(Phasianus Colchicus) is so variegated as to render an accurate description of its plumage extremely difficult. The head, as well as part of the neck, is green, with a resplendent blue gloss; the lower part of the neck, breast, belly, and sides are reddish brown, glistening with purple, each feather on these parts being edged with glossy black. The feathers on the mantle have white crescent-shaped spots below the border. The flowing, ragged feathers on the rump are dark copper-red, shaded with purple; the quills striped brown and reddish yellow; and the tail-feathers olive-grey, striped with black, and bordered with reddish brown. The eye is reddish yellow, the bare regions round the eye red, the beak light brownish yellow, and the foot reddish grey or lead-colour. This species is from thirty to thirty-two inches long, and from twenty-nine to thirty-one broad; the wing measures nine inches and a half, and the tail sixteen inches. The female is of inferior size, and has the entire plumage of a brownish grey tint, spotted and striped with black and deep reddish brown; the feathers on her back are darker than the rest of the body. TheBandedandIsabel Pheasantsclosely resemble the above bird in their general appearance: but the first is distinguishable therefrom by a narrow white band on the throat, the deeper shade of its colouring, and the comparative paleness of its black markings; whilst theIsabel Pheasantis principally of a light yellowish grey, each feather edged with a deeper shade, the belly, on the contrary, is very dark, sometimes quite black. The females of both these last-mentioned varieties are similar to their mates in the principal hues of their plumage.

The Common Pheasant, which is now naturalised all over the European continent, was originally introduced from Colchis, and derived its name from the river Phasis, in the neighbourhood of which it was especially abundant. In its native country, now called Mingrelia, it is still to be found wild, and of unequalled beauty. This bird, which is spread extensively over England, as far north as Northumberland, prefers woods, especially those of oak or beech, and such as have a growth of long grass and brambles, also damp ground where osiers and reeds abound, and hedgerows, but always lives in the vicinity of wood and water. During the day these Pheasants remain on the ground, moving quietly from bush to bush, as they go in search of food at dawn and sunset. In their progress to their feeding-place they always run, and on this account are very easily taken by wire snares set in the narrow paths that they make in the long grass which they constantly frequent. Towards evening they go to roost on low branches, taking their place near the stem or trunk of the tree.This habit of roosting upon trees is very fatal to their safety, since, being objects of considerable size, readily distinguishable by their long tails, and not easily frightened from the perch, they offer a sure mark during moonlight nights to the poacher's gun. The roosting-place of the male is very easily discovered, for he invariably chuckles when he first "trees," or goes to perch; and the female usually chirps on the same occasion. During summer and the period of moulting the Pheasant rarely perches, but retires for the night to the longest grass or other thick cover, and does not begin to "mount" again until towards the end of September or the beginning of October, having at that time renewed its plumage. Where Pheasants are numerous, the males are generally found associated during the winter separate from the females; and it is not until the end of March that they allow the approach of the latter without signs of displeasure, or at least indifference. At the above-mentioned time, however, the male bird assumes an altered appearance; the scarlet on his cheeks and around his eyes acquires additional depth of colour, and he walks with a more measured step, with his wing let down, and his tail carried in a more erect position. Being polygamous, he now takes possession of a certain "beat," from whence he drives every male intruder, and commences his crowing, which is accompanied by a peculiar clapping of his wings as a note of invitation to the other sex, as well as of defiance to his own. The female makes a very inartificial nest upon the ground, in long grass or thick underwood, and not unfrequently in fields of clover; she lays from ten to fourteen eggs, of a clear yellowish grey-green colour. The young are hatched during the months of June and July, and continue with the hen until they begin to moult and assume the adult plumage; after this period the young males are only to be distinguished from the older birds by the comparative bluntness and shortness of the tarsal spur. Usually when alarmed the Pheasant escapes by running rapidly, and seldom uses its wings, except in cases of very pressing danger.

"An old cock Pheasant," says Mr. Yarrell, "immediately on hearing a dog give tongue in a wood where he is, will foot away to the farthest corner, particularly if the wood be open at bottom, and from thence run one dry ditch or hedgerow after another for half a mile to the next covert; but a hen Pheasant seems to trust to her brown colour to escape detection, and, squatting in any bit of long grass that is near her, often surprises and startles the young shooter not a little by bouncing up with a rattling noise close at his feet. The poor frightened bird is frequently indebted to the sensation thus created for a clear escape. The brown earth-like colour of the plumage of the females of several species of Pheasants seems to be an admirable provision, not only for their individual safety, but for the preservation of the whole race."

In a wild state, the Pheasant feeds on grain, seeds, green leaves, and insects; also on some kinds of bulbs and berries.

THE CHINESE RING-NECKED PHEASANT.

The CHINESERING-NECKEDPHEASANT(Phasianus torquatus) is even more beautiful than its congeners. In this elegant bird the head and part of the throat are green; a line over the eyes and a collar about the throat white; the feathers on the nape almost black near the shaft, with broad yellow borders; and those on the mantle black at the base, with alternate yellow and black streaks, each feather edged with bright red. The long feathers on the rump and upper wing-covers are greenish grey, marked and dotted with red; those on the belly purplish brown, with conical black spots on the shafts, and those on the sides brownish yellow, marked with large round dark spots on the shafts. The quills are greyish brown, striped with greyish yellow, and secondaries reddish grey; the tail-feathers are greenish yellow, streaked with black. The eye is yellowish, the wattle on the cheek red, the beak light grey, and the foot brownish yellow. The size of this species is about that of the Common Pheasant. The hen resembles the female of the latter in her general appearance, but is somewhatredder. China is the native land of this beautiful species, which is there very abundant in wood-covered tracts.

"These birds," says Latham, "were first introduced into England under the name of Barbary Pheasants, by the Duke of Northumberland, and many were bred and turned out at large at Alnwick. Other noblemen and gentlemen have done the same, and thus the breed has become numerous. Birds of this species mix and breed with the Common Pheasant, and thus present much variety in their plumage, some having a well-defined and others a narrow and imperfect ring around the neck; the feathers of the flank, also, do not present the pure colouring either ofP. torquatusor ofP. Colchicus."

Living specimens of this species have bred so abundantly in the gardens of the Zoological Society that birds and eggs have been transmitted to different parts of the country. The flight of the Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant when started is both rapid and direct, and is often continued to a considerable distance before the bird again enters the cover.

REEVES' PHEASANT (Phasianus Reevesii, orP. veneratus).

THE JAPANESE PHEASANT.

The JAPANESEPHEASANT(Phasianus versicolor) has the head green and the upper part of the neck shaded with blue; the nape and entire under side are dark green, deepening to pale black at the sides and centre of the belly; the mantle-feathers are blackish green, surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped line of reddish yellow,edged with rust-red; the feathers of the upper wing and tail covers are blueish greyish green; the quills brownish grey, with light stripes; and the tail-feathers reddish grey, marked with black. The eye is light brown, the beak whitish grey, and the foot light brownish grey. The male is twenty-seven inches long and twenty-nine broad; the wing measures eight and the tail fifteen inches. The plumage of the hen differs from that of all the species above-mentioned, her feathers having a dark green centre, surrounded by a broad light brownish grey or light yellow border.

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT (Thaumalea picta).

These Pheasants are natives of Japan. In 1840 a pair of them were purchased by the Earl of Derby, of which the male only arrived at Knowsley; and from this bird and a female of the Common Pheasant have been derived the Green Pheasants, now so numerous in England. In form, habits, and disposition, this species resembles the Common Pheasant more nearly than thePhasianus torquatus, and has less disposition to wander.

SOEMMERRING'S PHEASANT.

SOEMMERRING'SPHEASANT(Phasianus Soemmerringii) is also known under the name ofGraphephasianus, on account of its superior length of tail. The plumage of this species is principally copper-red, almost all the feathers having light borders; the centres of the upper wing and breast feathers are blackish brown; those on the rump have their rounded tips edged with golden yellow; the quills are brown, bordered with a paler tint; the eyeis yellow, the beak horn-grey, the foot lead-grey. The hen is copper-red, marked with black, each feather edged with grey of various shades; those on the thighs are striped pale red and black; the quills are greyish brown, lightly bordered; the tail-feathers reddish, streaked with black and marked with deep brown; the throat and centre of the belly are light, and the lower belly dark grey.

This Pheasant, with which we became first acquainted through Dr. Siebold and Temminck, received its name from the latter, in honour of Professor Soemmerring, a distinguished naturalist.

Since the year 1860 the living bird has been brought to Europe, and those in the Zoological Gardens, London, produced a brood in June, 1865.

"The female," says Mr. Bartlett, "laid about ten eggs, but only three or four birds were hatched, and these died. ThePhasianus Soemmerringiiat the Antwerp Gardens also bred, but we are unable to say if the young arrived at maturity. In both places the males exhibited a strong inclination to destroy the females, and we come to the conclusion that the species is ill-adapted to breed in captivity."

REEVES' PHEASANT.

REEVES' PHEASANT(Phasianus Reevesii, orP. veneratus) represents a group, called by WaglerSyrmaticus, remarkable for their great length of tail and unusually variegated plumage. In this species the top of the head, ear-tufts, and a broad line around the throat are pure white; the sides of the head and a wide band across the breast are black, the feathers on the mantle, rump, and upper breast are golden yellow, edged with black; those of the lower breast and side whitish grey, decorated with a slender heart-shaped line, broadly edged with brownish red, and those of the belly brownish black. The feathers of the upper wing-covers are blackish brown, bordered with two lighter shades of brown; the quills are striped golden yellow and brownish black; and the tail-feathers silver-grey, dotted with red spots, surrounded by a black line, and broadly bordered with golden yellow. The eye is reddish, the beak and foot greyish yellow. This species resembles the Silver Pheasant in its general size, but has a streaming tail about six feet in length.

Considerable confusion respecting the nomenclature of this remarkable bird has been occasioned by the late M. Temminck having, in his "Histoire Naturelle Generale des Pigeons et des Gallinacés," assigned its two lengthened tail-feathers to the oldPhasianus superbusof Linnæus, an error which he subsequently corrected, when describing and figuring this bird in his "Planches Colorées" asP. veneratus. M. Temminck's error was adopted by Dr. Latham; and hence, while the description of the Barred-tail Pheasant, in his "General History of Birds" (Vol. VIII., p. 190), has reference to the oldP. superbus, some of his remarks apply to the present species. It is probable that the bird did not escape the notice of the celebrated Marco Polo, since he states "there be plenty of Feysants and very great, for 1 of them is as big as 2 of ours, with Tayles of eygth, nine, and ten spannes long, from the kingdom of Erguyl or Arguill, the western side of Tartary;" but we question if he ever saw more than the central tail-feathers, which, being held in great estimation, were considered to be suitable presents to foreigners, and hence these feathers found their way to Europe many years before the entire bird. Through Mr. Reeves, after whom this species was named by Dr. Gray, we obtained the sight of the skin of a male, and afterwards some parts of a female. He also brought a female in 1838, and both were living in the Zoological Gardens at the same time, but did not breed. Another, brought from China in 1862, lived at Mr. Kelk's seat, near Edgware, among other Pheasants, at perfect liberty and in excellent health, for two years. Since the Chinese War, living examples have successfully bred in more than one menagerie, both in England and on the Continent.

"The successful introduction of the living birds now in this country," says Mr. Tegetmeier, in theFieldfor June 7, 1867, "is owing to the combined efforts of Mr. John J. Stone, and Mr. Walter Medhurst, H.M. Consul at Hankow."

Latham saw at Sir Joseph Banks's some drawings taken from a curious collection of ancient porcelain, representing a sham-fight on the water for the Emperor's amusement, supposed to be between his Tartarian and Chinese subjects, personated by the females of his seraglio, the chieftains of the former having one of the barred feathers of this species on each side of the bonnet, and the opponents, or Chinese, having two feathers of a Pheasant of a smaller kind, probably a Golden one; hence he concludes that the present bird is a native of Tartary, and not unlikely to be as common there as the other is in China.

Dr. Bennett, in his "Wanderings in New South Wales," writes as follows:—"In Mr. Beale's splendid aviary and gardens at Macao, the beautifulPhasianus veneratusof Temminck, orP. Reevesiiof Gray, now commonly known by the name of Reeves' Pheasant, was seen. It is the Che Kai of the Chinese. The longest tail-feathers of this bird are six feet in length, and are placed in the caps of the players when acting military characters. This I observed in Canton, where some of the beautiful tail-feathers (rather in a dirty condition, like the actors themselves, who in their tawdry dresses reminded me of the sweeps in London on a May-day) were placed erect on each side of their caps as a decoration. The Chinese do not venerate this bird, as was at first supposed, and which may have caused Temminck to bestow upon it the name ofVeneratus, but it is superstitiously believed that the blood is possessed of poisonous properties, and that the mandarins, when in expectation of losing their rank and being suddenly put to death by order of the Emperor, preserve some of it upon a handkerchief in a dried state, on sucking which they fall down and instantly expire."

Mr. Beale's first male specimen, obtained in 1801, was kept in a healthy state for thirteen years. After its death he endeavoured to procure others, but did not succeed until 1831, when four specimens were brought from the interior and purchased by him for 130 dollars. These were, I believe, subsequently taken to England by Mr. Reeves.

The GOLDEN PHEASANTS (Thaumalea) are distinguishable from the birds above described by the comparatively small size of their bodies, their slender forms, bushy crest, and very long tail. The neck of the male is adorned with a remarkable collar of feathers that covers the nape, and is broadest under the chin.

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT.

The GOLDENPHEASANT(Thaumalea picta) is most gorgeously apparelled, with a bright golden crest upon its head, and a rich orange-red collar, in which each feather is edged with deep velvety black; the feathers of the mantle are golden green, bordered with black, those on the lower back and upper tail-covers bright yellow, and those on the face, chin, and sides of throat whitish yellow. The lower neck and under side are a deep saffron-yellow, the wing-covers chestnut-brown, the quills greyish brown, edged with rust-red, the shoulder-feathers dark blue, with light borders, and most of those of the tail decorated with a black network tracery; the long, centre feathers of the upper covers are dark red, the eye is golden yellow, the beak whitish yellow, and the foot brownish. The male is thirty-two inches long and twenty-five broad, the wing measures eight and the tail twenty-two inches. The plumage of the hen is deep rust-red above, shading on the under side into a mixture of red, grey, and yellow; the feathers on the top of the head, throat, and sides, upper secondaries, and centre tail-feathers are striped brownish yellow and black, and the side tail-feathers brown, marked with yellowish grey. A very similar species lately discovered, and calledThaumalea obscura, is distinguishable from the above species, which in other respects it closely resembles, by the comparative darkness of its plumage during all its various changes, and by the inferior length of the tail-feathers.

The Golden Pheasant inhabits Southern Tauria and the eastern part of the desert of Mongolia, advancing in summer up to the Amoor, and also the provinces of Kansu and Setschun in the interiorof China, whence, Mr. Swinhoe tells us, living examples are brought into Canton for sale. Latham says that this bird is called in ChinaKinki, orKinkee, which signifies Gold-flower Fowl, or Wrought Fowl. It is a hardy bird, and many pairs have been turned loose in our own country with the hope of naturalising it, but unfortunately they have all been shot. According to Gould it bears confinement well, and breeds freely. The sexes change considerably in appearance, and some hens kept for six years by Lady Essex gradually assumed the male feathers.

THE CHINESE EARED PHEASANT (Crossoptilon auritum).

LADY AMHERST'S PHEASANT.

The LADYAMHERST'SPHEASANT(Thaumalea Amherstiæ) is a very beautiful bird, having a black and red plume upon its head. The feathers that form the collar are of a silvery hue, with dark edges; the plumage of the neck, upper back, and upper wing-covers is light golden green, bordered with a deeper tint; and that of the lower back shaded golden yellow. The feathers of the upper tail-covers are pale red, spotted and lined with black, those on the under side pure white; the quills are brownish grey, edged with a lighter tint on the outer web; the centre tail-feathers are whitish grey, striped with black and edged with yellow, the rest are brownish grey; the lancet-shaped feathers at the sides of the upper tail-covers are coral-red, the bare patches on the cheeks blue, and the eye golden yellow; the beak is pale, and the foot dark yellow.

THE ARGUS PHEASANT, OR KUAU (Argus giganteus).

This species was first described by Mr. B. Leadbeater, in a paper read before the Linnæan Society, December 2nd, 1828, and received from him its name in honour of the Countess of Amherst, to whomtwo males of the species had been presented by Sir Archibald Campbell, who received them from the King of Ava. They came originally from the mountains of Cochin China, and only survived the voyage to England a few weeks.

"It is now believed," says Mr. Gould, "that the bird is an inhabitant of the Chinese province of Yunnan and the adjoining region of Thibet." We have no account of its mode of life or habits.

The EARED PHEASANTS (Crossoptilon), are so called on account of the remarkable tufts of feathers, resembling those of some Owls, situated at the sides of the head. They are also distinguishable from the members of the family already described by their very powerful build and comparatively short tail, the feathers at the extremity of which are discomposed, and overhang the rest.

THE CHINESE EARED PHEASANT.

The CHINESEEAREDPHEASANT(Crossoptilon auritum) has the throat and a line that passes from thence to the ear of pure white; the somewhat lax plumage on the head, the nape, upper breast, and back are black, and the mantle-feathers light brownish grey; the rump is yellowish white, and the under side pale greyish yellow; the quills and tail-feathers are yellowish grey, with a dark border to the outer web; the streaming feathers on the upper covers are greyish black. The hen is somewhat smaller than her mate, and has the long feathers less developed.

We are without particulars as to the life and habits of this Pheasant. Lamprey tells us he observed it in the markets of Pekin, and heard that it is found on the mountains to the north of that town. M. Armand David also met with it in July, 1863, in the northern valley of a high mountain, fifteen leagues to the west of Pekin, and was told that it is called Ho-ki, or Gho-ky, by the Chinese. When placed in an aviary these birds soon become gentle and familiar. In their wild state they frequent well-wooded spots on mountains; they perch readily, and carry their tails after the fashion of the Domestic Fowl; their somewhat varied call also much resembles the voice of that bird. The crops of three specimens killed in July were filled with the leaves ofcytisus;and those examined in winter contained nuts, kernels, leaves of mugwort, ferns, roots, orchids, coleoptera, worms, and caterpillars. In a paper contributed to theZoological Society's Proceedingsfor July, 1866, Mr. Saurin informs us that the hen lays at the end of May; the eggs are larger than those of a Common Fowl, and of a blueish tint. The Chinese rear these Pheasants on a kind of millet-cake; they are also very fond of barley. In 1866 two males of this species were presented to the London Zoological Gardens, and in the same year two hens were purchased from the Jardin d'Acclimatisation of Paris; since that time they have produced several broods, which have been hatched by a Domestic Hen.

THE ARGUS PHEASANT, OR KUAU.

The ARGUSPHEASANT, or KUAU(Argus giganteus). This magnificent species has the feathers on the upper and primary quills unusually prolonged, and broad at the tips; their shafts are soft, and the web of firm, stiff texture; the secondaries, on the contrary, are very short. The moderately long beak is compressed at its sides, slightly vaulted, bare at its base, and hooked at its tip; the long weak foot is without a spur; the tail, composed of twelve feathers, is very long and much graduated, the two centre feathers far exceeding the rest in length; the sides of the head and throat are bare, with the exception of a few black hairs; the brow, top of the head, and back of the head, on the contrary, are covered with a growth of small velvety feathers. The coloration of the plumage is more remarkable for the delicacy of its markings than for the brilliancy of its hues. The short feathers on the crown are deep black, those on the back of the neck striped yellow, and those on the nape and upper back brown, marked and dotted with light yellow. The yellowish brown feathers on the centreof the back are yellowish grey, with round dark brown patches; those on the under side striped and marked with reddish brown, black, and light yellow. The outer web of the secondary quills is entirely greyish red, thickly dotted with spots of shaded brown, whilst the inner web is marked with delicate white dots at its base. The long feathers of the upper wing-covers are of a beautiful dark reddish brown, marked with pale greyish red, dark brown, and yellowish white streaks of tracery, and enlivened by large lustrous round spots or eyes. These eyes are situated on the outer web, and are more perceptible upon the feathers of the second order than on the shoulder. The longest tail-feathers are black, the shafts grey on the inner and reddish brown on the outer side; both sides of the web are decorated with a white spot, surrounded by a black edge; the exterior tail-feathers are similarly coloured, and have their numerous spots placed in rows. Rosenberg tells us that the head and bare parts of the throat are light greyish blue, and the feet red. This fine bird is from five and a half to six feet long; of this measurement four feet are included in the tail. The length of the real wing is seventeen inches: that of its longest feather twenty-eight inches and a half. The hen is much smaller and more quiet in appearance. The feathers on her head are striped black and yellow; those on the upper breast and nape are of a fine reddish brown, marked with black; those on the other parts of the back striped brownish yellow and black; the under side is light brown, with undulating black and yellow lines; the primary quills are brown marbled with black; and the feathers on the upper and lower covers dark reddish brown, marked in a similar manner with a lighter shade.

Plate 29. Cassell's Book of BirdsITHAGINIS CORIENTES ____ SANGUINE FRANCOLIN(about one half Nat. size)

Plate 29. Cassell's Book of Birds

ITHAGINIS CORIENTES ____ SANGUINE FRANCOLIN

(about one half Nat. size)

[See larger version]

The Argus Pheasant is said to be found in the woods of Sumatra, and is called by the natives Coo-ow, or Kuaow. It does not bear long confinement, and seems to have an antipathy to the light, remaining inanimate during the day. When kept in a dark place, however, it appears to be perfectly at ease, and sometimes utters the note or call from which it takes its name. This cry is rather plaintive, and not harsh like that of the Peacock. The flavour of its flesh resembles that of the Common Pheasant.

The PEACOCK PHEASANTS (Polyplectron) constitute a group forming the connecting link between the Argus Pheasants and the Peacocks. They have small, slender bodies; short, decidedly rounded wings, in which the fifth and sixth quills are the longest, and the feathers of the upper covers much prolonged; the tail is long, composed of twelve feathers, broad at its extremity and slightly graduated; the feathers on the upper covers closely resemble those beneath them in form, colour, and markings. The long, thin tarsus is armed with from two to six spurs, the toes are short, and the claws small; the moderate-sized beak is thin, straight, compressed at its sides, slightly curved towards the tip, and covered with feathers at its base. The plumage of the male is enlivened by numerous eyes upon the tail, and occasionally on the mantle and wing-covers.

THE CHINQUIS, OR ASSAM PEACOCK PHEASANT.

The CHINQUIS, or ASSAMPEACOCKPHEASANT(Polyplectron chinquis), the most beautiful of the four species of the above group with which we are acquainted, has the head of a greyish brown, delicately dotted and lined with black; the lower neck, breast, and centre of the belly are brown, striped with brownish black, and spotted with light yellow; the mantle-feathers are greyish yellow, marked with small greyish black lines; each feather being decorated with an ocellus having a green centre and glossy purple border; the feathers of the back, rump, and large tail-covers are pale brown, spotted and marked with brownish yellow, and have a similar green and purple spot, surrounded by a black rim. The eye is bright yellow and the foot black. This species is twenty-two inches long, but of these ten inches are included in the tail. The hen is distinguished by less showy plumage, the slight excrescences that replace the spurs upon her foot, and the shortness of her tail.

THE CHINQUIS, OR ASSAM PEACOCK PHEASANT (Polyptectron chinquis).

The countries of Assam, Silhet, Arucan, and Tenasserim, as far as Mergui, may be regarded as the habitat of this species, which received from Linnæus, who erroneously believed Thibet to be its native country, the name of the Thibet Peacock; and even now we are but little acquainted with its habits, owing to its shy disposition, and the preference it has for the innermost recesses of dense forests. In "Ornithognomon's" "Game Birds of India" is one of the most interesting of the few notices we possess. "I have never," says the writer, "shot this bird; and, indeed, only once came upon it. This was in a narrow path leading along a ridge about 3,000 feet above the sea, in the mountains on the British side of the Thoungyen River, which separates Tenasserim from Yohan in Siam. It started so suddenly, having apparently been dusting itself in the path, and shot so rapidly across the jungle, through thekud, that had it not left two or three of its feathers behind I should not have known what bird I had flushed. I am not aware of any English sportsman having ever bagged one of these Pheasants; and, indeed, it frequents such inaccessible places as effectually to defy approach. The mountains in the tropics rise to a height of six or eight thousand feet above the sea, and from 6,000 feet downwards are clothed with such a dense mass of trees, thickets, underwood, bamboos, and thorny rattans, all bound together by creepers and tangle, that it would be an hour's labour to cutany one's way through 100 yards of such stuff. I have, however," says the same writer, "kept these Peacock Pheasants in captivity, which they appear to bear tolerably well, but never become thoroughly tame. They were incessantly uttering a soft, low cluck, but emitted at times a cry or crow, being the same cluck loudly and rapidly repeated."

Two males of this species were sent by the Baba Rajendra Malhik to the London Zoological Gardens in 1857, and another pair in 1863, of which the female died; another female was obtained in 1864, which bred several times, and thus many particulars concerning their economy were learned. "Thus we know," says Mr. Sclater, "that two or three broods in a year are produced by the same pair, and are often covered by her tail, that the normal number of eggs is two, and that they are peculiarly delicate in form and colour, assimilating very closely to those of the Golden Pheasant (Thaumalea picta)—they are of a cream-colour, or buffy white, nearly two inches long, by one inch and seven-sixteenths broad."

Mr. Ellis, in his monograph on thePhasianidæ, states that Mr. Bartlett, superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, London, told him that the first time the young of this species were hatched in the Gardens, a Bantam Hen was employed as a foster mother, and the chicks would follow close behind her, never coming in front to take food, so that in scratching the ground she frequently struck them with her feet. The reason for the young keeping behind was not understood, until on a subsequent occasion two chicks were reared by a hen Chinquis, when it was observed that they always kept in the same manner 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. It was thus rendered evident that the young, in following the Bantam Hen, were simply obeying the instincts of their nature, although the upright tail of their foster mother failed to afford them the protection which they would have found had they been reared by a female of their own species.

The PEACOCKS (Pavones) are distinguished from all other members of their family by the superiority of their size, and the extraordinary development of the feathers of the upper tail-covers. Their bodies are powerful; the neck moderately long, head small, wings short, and legs high; the beak is strong, arched at its culmen and hooked at the tip; and the foot of the male is armed with a spur. The crown of the head is adorned with a crest, formed either of long and slender or short bearded feathers. The region of the eye is bare. These fine birds only attain their full beauty when three years old.

The Peacock is a native of the East Indies and Ceylon, and is represented in Assam, the Sunda Islands, and Japan by thePavo nigripennis. All the members of this glorious group frequent woods and jungle, preferring mountainous districts. On the Neilgherries and mountains of Southern India thePavo cristatusis frequently met with at an altitude of 6,000 feet above the level of the sea; but it is not found in the Himalayas.

Williamson tells us that these splendid creatures abound chiefly in well-wooded localities, where there is an extent of long grass for them to range in. They are very thirsty birds, and will only remain where they can have free access to water. "About the passes in the Jungleterry districts," continues the same authority, "I have seen such quantities of Pea Fowls as have absolutely surprised me. Whole woods were covered with their beautiful plumage, to which a rising sun imparted additional brilliancy. The small patches of plain among the long grass, most of them cultivated, and with mustard then in bloom, which induced the birds to feed, added beauty to the scene; and I speak within bounds when I assert that there could not be less than twelve or fifteen hundred Pea Fowls of various sizes within sight of the spot where I stood for more than an hour." When on the wing they fly heavily, generally within an easyshot, but if only winged speedily recover, and if not closely pursued will nine times out of ten disappear. The capture of the Peacock is by no means a safe pursuit, for Williamson tells us that wherever that bird and the spotted deer abound the tiger will generally be a visitor; thus the borders of jungle containing such game are highly dangerous. At the season when the peepul berries and figs are in season their flesh is rather bitter; but when they have fed for a time among corn-fields, the flesh of the young is remarkably sweet and juicy. The nest is formed among thick shrubs or on high garden walls, or even on the roofs of houses. When the young are bred in an elevated situation, they are said to be carried to the ground by the parent on her back. The eggs, from four to six in number, are hatched within thirty days, and within three months of their birth the sex of the young is easily recognisable. When domesticated, the Peahen requires to be kept perfectly undisturbed during the period of incubation, or she will desert her little family.

THE COMMON PEACOCK.

The COMMONPEACOCK(Pavo cristatus) is of a magnificent purplish blue on the head, throat, and upper breast, overspread with glowing green and golden lustre; the green feathers on the back are edged and marked with copper-red; the centre of the back is deep blue, the wing white striped with black, and the under side black; the quills and tail are light brown; the long feathers of the latter, which form the graceful train that renders this bird so conspicuous, being decorated with numerous ocellated spots. The crest-feathers, from twenty to twenty-four in number, are bearded at their tips. The eye is dark brown, and the bare ring that surrounds it whitish; the beak and foot are greyish-brown. The length of this species is from three and a half to four feet; the wing measures eighteen and the tail twenty-four inches. The long train-feathers of the upper tail-covers are from four to four feet and a half in length. The female is nut-brown on the head and upper throat; the feathers on the nape are greenish, edged with whitish brown; those of the mantle light brown, marked with delicate lines; and those on the throat, breast, and belly white; the quills are brown, and the tail-feathers brown tipped with white. The hen is from thirty-six to thirty-eight inches long; her wing measures fifteen and tail from twelve to thirteen inches; her crest is much smaller and darker than that of her mate.

The general form of this magnificent bird is exceedingly elegant; and when he elevates and spreads his gorgeous train to the sun, displaying it in every way, as if conscious of the admiration he is exciting, the beholder is constrained to admit that there is no creature upon which Nature has lavished her powers of adornment with a more unsparing hand. The voice of the Peacock is extremely harsh and disagreeable, closely resembling in sound the wordpaon, which is its French name. The introduction of this bird into Europe is ascribed to Alexander the Great, but the exact date at which it was first imported into England is unknown.

This Pea-fowl inhabits the whole of India Proper, and is replaced in Assam and the countries to the east by another species. Jerdon tell us, "It frequents forests and jungly places, more especially delighting in hilly and mountainous districts; and in the more open and level country, wooded ravines and river banks are the never-failing resort of some of them. It comes forth to the open glades and fields to feed in the morning and evening, retiring to the jungles for shelter during the heat of the day, and roosting at night on high trees.

"During the courting season," says Jerdon, "the Peacock raises his tail vertically, and with it of course the lengthened train, spreading it out and strutting to captivate the hen birds; he has also the power of clattering the feathers in a most curious manner. It is a beautiful sight to come suddenly on twenty or thirty Pea fowl, the males displaying their gorgeous trains, and strutting about in all the pomp of pride before the gratified females. The train continues to increase in length for many years, at each successive moult, but it appears to be shed very irregularly." The breeding ofthe Pea-fowl in India varies, according to the locality, from April to October; the eggs, from four to eight or nine, are laid in a secluded spot.

"In Ceylon," writes Sir Emerson Tennant, "as we emerge from the deep shade and approach the park-like openings on the verge of the low country, numbers of Pea-fowl are to be found, either feeding on the seeds and fallen nuts among the long grass, or sunning themselves on the branches of the surrounding trees. Nothing to be met with in English demesnes can give an adequate idea of the size and magnificence of this matchless bird when seen in its native solitudes. Here he generally selects some projecting branch, from which his plumage may hang free of the foliage; and if there be a dead and leafeless bough, he is certain to choose it for his resting-place, whence he droops his wings and spreads his gorgeous train, or spreads it in the morning sun to drive off the damps and dews of night. In some of the unfrequented portions of the eastern province to which Europeans rarely resort, and where the Pea-fowl are unmolested by the natives, their number is so extraordinary that, regarded as game, it ceases to be sport to destroy them; and their cries at early dawn are so tumultuous and incessant as to banish sleep, and amount to an actual inconvenience."

The flesh is excellent when served up hot, though it is said to be indigestible; when cold it contracts a reddish and disagreeable tinge.

Among old English dishes for high festivals the Peacock at one time held a notable place, and a "Pecock enhakyl" (that is, with the feathers of the tail extended) is mentioned by Fabian as one of the second course dishes at the wedding-feast of Henry VI. In an old manuscript in the Library of the Royal Society is a receipt for the dressing of this noble dish:—"For a feste royal, Pecokkes schol be dight on this manere: Take and flee off the skin, with the fedures, tayle, and the neck and hed thereon. Then take the skynne and all the fedures, and lay hit on a tabel abrode, and straw thereon grounden comyn. Then take the Pecok and roste him, and endore him with rawe yolkes of eggs; and when he is rosted take hym off and let hym cole a whyle, and take and sowe him in his skynne, and gild his combe, and so serve him forthe with the last cours."

The flesh of the Peacock is said to be dry, but such a quality must have been amply compensated by the wholesale provision of sauce; as, according to an old play,[B]among other extravagances enumerated, "The carcasses of three fat wethers were bruised for gravy to make sauce for a single Peacock".

THE BLACK-WINGED PEACOCK.

The BLACK-WINGEDPEACOCK(Pavo nigripennis), a very similar species, differs from the above principally in the blackish blue or blueish green feathers on the upper wing-covers. The hen has a light grey plumage, spotted with a darker shade.

THE JAPAN PEACOCK.

The JAPANPEACOCK(Pavo muticus, orPavo spicifer) far exceeds its congeners in beauty. In this bird the body is slender and the foot high. The crest is composed of feathers having broader tips than those in the crest of the Common Peacock. The upper throat and the head are emerald-green; the feathers of the lower throat are adorned with blueish green spots, having golden edges; and the emerald-green breast-feathers gleam with gold. The belly is brownish grey, the wing-covers are dark green, the quills brown, marbled with black and grey on the outer web, and the secondary quills black, with a greenish gloss. The long feathers of the upper tail-covers resemble those of the Common Peacock, but are more gorgeous. The eye is greyish brown, the bare region around blueish green, the cheek brownish yellow, the beak black, and the foot grey. The female resembles her mate, but is without the train.

The earliest description of this splendid bird is given by Aldrovandus, in the sixteenth century; this was taken from a drawing sent some years before by the Emperor of Japan to the Pope, who gave it to his nephew, the Marchese Tachinetti, from whom Aldrovandus received it. On the authority of this author it had been described in several scientific works, till at length, no further knowledge being gained concerning the species, its actual existence began to be doubted, and Cuvier, in his "Règne Animal," says, "Le Paon de Japon, ou Spicifère (P. muticus, Linn.), n'est rien moins qu'authentique. Le veritable Paon sauvage du Japon differe peu du notre, par les couleurs, et point par l'aigrette."

M. Temminck, however, admitted the species, and described it principally from the account of Le Vaillant, who had seen an example of it in a menagerie at the Cape of Good Hope. At the time of the publication of Temminck's work, a specimen was received in the Paris collection, and two males were procured by Professor Jameson for the Ornithological Museum of Edinburgh.

The GUINEA FOWLS (Numidæ) are recognisable by their strongly-built body, short wings, moderate-sized tail, very long feathers in the upper tail-covers, moderate-sized, short-toed feet, without spurs; strong beak, and head and neck more or less denuded of feathers, and decorated with a crest, plume, wreath, or helmet of feathers, and lappets of skin. The plumage of both sexes is usually dark, enlivened with white. The female is adorned with a dress similar to that of her mate.

The ROYAL GUINEA FOWLS (Acryllium) differ in many particulars from all their congeners. These birds have a slender body, long thin neck, small bare head, decorated with a wreath, extending from the ears over the back of the head, and formed of very short velvety feathers; the feathers on the throat are lancet-shaped; the upper secondaries considerably exceed the primaries in length, and the centre tail-feathers are longer than those at the exterior. The short strong beak is much curved, and has the upper mandible very decidedly hooked at its tip; the tarsi are high, and furnished with a spur-like wart. The members of this group are natives of Africa.

THE VULTURINE ROYAL GUINEA FOWL.

The VULTURINEROYALGUINEAFOWL(Acryllium vulturinum) has the head and upper part of the throat destitute of feathers, but besprinkled with hairs of a black colour, which are longest on the neck; the nape is thickly clothed with short, velvet-like, brown down, and the lower part of the neck ornamented with long, lanceolate, and flowing feathers, having a broad stripe of white down the centre, to which on each side succeeds a line of dull black, finely dotted with white, and margined with fine blue. The feathers of the inferior part of the back are of a similar form, but broader, with a narrower line of white down the centre, and with the minute white dots disposed in irregular and obliquely transverse lines. The wing-covers, back, rump, tail, under tail-covers, and thighs, are blackish brown, ornamented with numerous round and irregular spots of white surrounded by circles of black, the intermediate spaces being filled with very minute spots of dull white; the primaries are brown, with light shafts and spots of brownish white on the outer web; and the tips of the inner secondaries brownish black, with three imperfect lines of white disposed lengthwise on the outer web, and three rows of irregular spots of white on the inner web; the breast and sides of the abdomen are of a beautiful metallic blue, the centre of the abdomen black, the flanks dull pink, with numerous spots of white surrounded by circles of black; the bill is brownish, and the feet brown.

"Independently of the chaste and delicate markings which adorn the whole of this tribe, the neck of the present species of Guinea Fowl," says Mr. Gould, "is ornamented by a ruff of lanceolate flowing plumes, which new feature, as well as the head being entirely devoid of fleshy appendages, render it conspicuously different from all its congeners. We are not able to furnish any account of itshistory further than that our figure is taken from an example, in all probability unique, forming a part of the collection of the United Service Museum, to which it was presented by Captain Probyn. It is certainly one of the most noble birds that has been discovered for some years; and we indulge in the hope that the period may not be far distant when we shall become better acquainted with the species, and that living individuals may even become denizens of our menageries and farmyards, where they would doubtless thrive equally well as their congener so familiar to us all."

Back to Index Next