252 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Derbyan Mountain-Pheasant. 



a walnut, has a purple skin when ripe, and a large stone in the 

 centre : it is ripe in January*. This forest is evidently the home 

 of the Oreophasis, as the Cracidce (and to this family the pre- 

 sent bird undoubtedly belongs) are a family of forest- loving birds, 

 any member of which would feel strangely out of its element in 

 one of those open sunny savannas in which artists delight to 

 place them. 



In ' The Ibis,' 1859, p. 224, 1 stated that there was good reason 

 to suppose that the examples of Oreophasis procured by Mr. 

 Skinner were obtained from the Volcan de Agua. This I find 

 was not the case, as they were shot nearly in the same spot in the 

 Volcan de Fuego as my specimens. Strange as it may seem, the 

 Volcan de Fuego is the sole locality which has produced this bird. 

 I made every inquiry for it in Vera Paz, where the forests of the 

 mountain-tops somewhat resemble those of the volcanos, but 

 could hear nothing of it ; nor is it even known to the charcoal- 

 burners of the Volcan de Agua. Though its non-occurrence in 

 localities which might be supposed favourable to its existence 

 rests on negative evidence, yet it is certain that, whereas to the 

 Indians frequenting the Volcan de Fuego the bird is well known, 

 nowhere else can its existence be traced, not even in the Volcan 

 de Agua. From all I could hear, and from having made three 

 or four fruitless expeditions in search of it, I am led to conclude 

 that it is rare even in the single mountain where it is found. 

 This supposition is borne out by Mr. Wyld, who has frequently 

 inquired of the Indians of San Pedro Ipocapa and Acatenango 

 (villages on the southern and western sides of the volcano), but 

 could hear nothing of it. 



The Oreophasis is known to the Indians frequenting the 

 mountain as the " Khannanay," and to the Ladinos or half- 

 bred Indians as the " Faisan.'^ 



The female of O, derbianus was until lately unknown to 

 science. Owing, I am inclined to think, to the absence of 

 positive information on the subject, she has been supposed to 

 bear plumage different from the male (as is the case in C7'ax 



* Specimens of the branches and fruit of this tree have been submitted 

 to Dr. Hooker, who has kindly identified it as a Primus, closely allied to, 

 if not the same as, Prunus occidentalis of the West Indies. 



