164 INDIAN SPORTING BIRDS 



a few years back in the London Zoo between a Javan hen and 

 a black-winged common peacock. Hens and yearling cocks (the 

 latter were sent away soon after their first year) were much alike 

 and had dark brown plumage, pencilled with buff above, and with 

 no white on the lower parts ; the quills were cinnamon in all, 

 and the upper tail-coverts bronzed. So far they resembled more 

 their Javan mother, but the crest was that of the common pea- 

 fowl, and they had the face-skin equally limited in extent, and 

 nearly as white, but with a vivid orange patch under the ear. 

 The colour of the neck, however, was of a rich glossy emerald, 

 like a mallard's, differing much from the bronze-green and purple 

 of the Javan birds and more resembling that of the nape of the 

 common peahen, though covering the entire neck. A trio of 

 these birds are said to have reproduced again in the grounds 

 of the well-known Dutch aviculturist, Mynheer Blaauw. The 

 eggs of this species, which are laid during the rains, resemble 

 those of common peafowl, and the chicks also appear to be 

 similar. 



Grey Peacock Pheasant. 



Polijplectrum cJiinquis. DeyodahiiTx, Assamese. 



This beautiful bird's grey plumage, spangled with metallic 

 spots of purple-green, is quite sufficient distinction from any 

 other bird met with in his haunts, which are the lower eleva- 

 tions of the hills, or localities thereto adjacent, from Sikkim 

 to Burma. The hen bird is sufficiently like him in general 

 appearance to be recognizable at once, but she is not only much 

 less in size, weighing only a pound at most, while he may reach 

 one and three-quarters, but also, as might be expected, duller 

 in plumage, especially in having the glittering spangles replaced 

 by sombre black, except at the tip of the tail. Young birds 

 have the tail transversely barred with a light colour at first. 



These pea-pheasants, as Jerdon well calls them, are in some 

 ways very like pigmy peafowl ; they have the same level-backed 

 carriage, light build, and dainty gliding gait, and the cock in 

 full display, when he stoops and spreads his bejewelled tail 

 before the hen, is very peacock-like ; but his display differs in 



