153 Mr. Blyth's Commentary 



necked Peafowl (P. muticus) begins with Arakan, and the dark 

 Arakan race extends southwards through the Tenasserim pro- 

 vinces. In Penang (and^ I presume, also in Java) it is much 

 more vividly coloured. In the opinion of Mr. Wallace, P. 

 muticus does not inhabit the Malayan peninsula; and he 

 thinks that the Malays have no name for it. The late Dr. 

 Cantor, however, had skins which he told me were from Pro- 

 vince Wellesley ; and Sir. T. S, Raffles (mistaking the species) 

 remarks that "the common Peacock {M'ra or Marak) is a 

 native of the Malayan peninsula and Java, but is not common 

 near Bencoolen^^ (Tr, Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 319). In the list of 

 the animals of Sumatra, prepared by Vigors and appended to 

 Lady Raffles's memoir of her husband, P. muticus is assigned 

 both to Sumatra and Java, and P. cristatus to the former only. 

 It may be that Raffles saw both species in a state of semi- 

 domestication, the Indian Peafowl being unquestionably an im- 

 portation, like the Axis-Deer, which he also mentions. 



With reference to the affinity of Menura (vol. iii. p. 494), 

 putting aside its truly passerine anatomy, habits, and song-notes 

 (with highly imitative propensity), the nest ofM. alberti figured 

 by Mr. Gould (P. Z. S. 1853, Aves, pi. 53) might suffice to 

 decide the question. 



804. LOPHOPHORUS IMPEYANUS. 



Egg figured in P. Z. S. 1858 [Aves, pi. 149. fig. 5), and 

 chick {ibid. pi. 148. fig. 2). 



808. PUCRASIA MACROLOPHA. 



Egg figured in 'Contributions to Ornithology,' 1850, pi. 57. 



The Tragopan duvauceli, Temm. (PI. Col. 545), represents P. 

 castanea, Gould ; and the specific name holds precedence. P. 

 nipalensis, Gould, is less satisfactorily distinguished, and may 

 prove to be a hybrid race between P. duvauceli and P. macro- 

 lopha. A good third species, however, has been sent from North 

 China, the P. xanthospila, G. R. Gray (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 259, 

 pi. 20). A supposed female of P. macrolopha in the Calcutta 

 Museum is in perfect male attire, the sex being presumed from 

 its size and the absence of spurs ; there is a similar specimen in 

 the India Museum ; and I have seen others. Numerous examples 



