THE ARGUS PHEASANT 



the plumage has a variety of shades upon it, the bulk of 

 it is either brown or yellowish-red, over which are dis- 

 tributed a number of small spots, darker or lighter than the 

 ground colour. The large spots are arranged in regular 

 rows on the secondary feathers, close to the front border 

 of the shaft of the feathers, so that when the bird is 

 displaying its plumage the beauty of these spots becomes 

 most obvious. 



The ocelli or eye spots are mainly contributory in 

 enhancing the beauty of the plumage, and are displayed 

 to the best advantage during courtship. Each ocellus is 

 about I inch in diameter, and stands out like a ball lying 

 within a socket, looking as though the wing were possessed 

 of so many eyes. In each secondary feather there is about 

 a score of these eye spots which are confined to the male 

 bird, the plumage of the hen being very plain and darker, 

 whilst she is altogether smaller than the cock-bird. 



The central pair of feathers of the tail, as previously 

 stated, are very long, and during display the apex of each 

 is turned outwards, the pair forming, as it were, a triangle. 



The primary wing feathers are brown and covered with 

 black dots, more especially towards their apices and along 

 their front borders, but they are destitute of the ocelli. The 

 beautiful plumage of the male is unquestionably developed 

 for the purpose of attracting the female, as such is chiefly 

 displayed during courtship, and the harmonious blending 

 of the colours only becomes so strikingly manifest at this 

 particular period. When kept in the aviary the Argus 

 Pheasant must be protected from cold, so that it is necessary, 

 in the case of an outdoor aviary, to have canvas screens, 

 capable of being adjusted to suit the variable conditions 

 of the weather. 



The author is not aware of any attempts having been 



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