PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



made to cross the Argus Pheasant with other varieties of 

 the Phasianidce, but it is quite possible that hybrids from 

 the Argus Pheasant could be produced, yet no advantage 

 would be likely to result from the production of such 

 hybrids. 



Concerning the Great Argus Pheasant, Bowdler Sharpe, 

 in his Wo7tders of the Bird World, has the following 

 interesting account : — 



" The Argus Pheasant of the Malay countries is one of 

 the most splendid birds in existence, and like its namesake 

 has indeed a ' hundred eyes.' The whole of the outer web 

 of the secondaries, which are, moreover, of enormous size, 

 is decorated with circular spots of white, yellow and rufous, 

 surrounded by a ring of black, and it is from these eye-like 

 spots that the bird gets its name. In captivity the Argus 

 often displays his wonderful plumage, much as the Peacock 

 exhibits his train for the admiration of the female, by throwing 

 up his wing and bringing it forward to the ground, so as 

 to display all the series of spots on the secondaries. The 

 late Mr William Davison, who explored Tenasserim for years 

 in pursuit of natural history specimens for the great Hume 

 Collection, has given the best and indeed the only account 

 of the habits of the Argus Pheasant with which I am 

 acquainted. One peculiarity about the bird's life is that 

 the males and females live apart, and the latter appear 

 to have no fixed residence, but wander about the forest, 

 only occasionally visiting the male bird in his 'drawing- 

 room,' as Mr Davison calls the playing-ground. The hen 

 bird, he was told, builds a rude nest in some dense cane-brake, 

 and lays seven or eight eggs like those of a domestic Turkey, 

 hatching them out and bringing up the nesdings without any 

 assistance from the male bird. The latter, in fact, appears 



lOO 



