THE PHEASANT TRIBE. 397 
These birds inhabit Australia, the Australian — Fowl (AZega- 
podius tumulus) being the best known type. 
The Lepoe bear a great resemblance to the Megapodii, and are 
natives of the same country, where they are familiarly called the 
Native Pheasant : their habits have not been studied. 
The Zalegalld, familiarly known as the Brush Turkeys, inhabit 
Australia and New Guinea. They live in low brushwood, adjacent 
to the sea. These birds have a curious plan in building their nests. 
They scrape together a large quantity of dry leaves, of which they 
form a conical mound five or six feet high, after the manner of 
the Australian Jungle Fowl, but not on so large a scale. On the top 
of this heap they make a hole, in which the female drops two or 
three eggs, one on the top of the other. The heat produced by 
fermentation, joined with the rays of the sun, gives sufficient warmth 
to hatch them. 
PHASIANIDE. 
This family is divided into several genera or tribes; namely, 
Pheasants, Peacocks, Guinea Fowls, Turkeys, and Curassows. 
The Pheasant tribe comprises not only Pheasants proper, but 
also the Domestic Fowls—properly the Bankiva Fowl—the Argus, 
Tragopans, &c. ‘Their characteristics are as follows: The head 
bare, bill stout, wings short and flight heavy, tail largely developed, 
plumage brilliant, sometimes gorgeous. 
Although these birds were originally natives of Asia, some have 
been naturalised over nearly the whole face of the earth since time 
immemorial ; the Pheasant, however, is not so widely spread, although 
its range has been much increased. 
The Pheasant is remarkable for the extraordinary length of its 
tail, the middle feathers of which in one species, Reeves’s Pheasant 
(Phasianus Reevesit), Sometimes attain a length of seven or eight 
feet. It is a bird of noble and elegant form, and the males are 
adorned with brilliant plumage; the hens possessing a more unattrac- 
tive attire. The sides of the face and round the eyes are bare and tuber- 
culous. ‘The stronger sex are provided with spurs (PLATE XVII2.). 
There are many species of Pheasant, but there is no obvious dif- 
ference in their habits; we shall therefore content ourselves with 
giving an account of the Common Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus, 
Fig. 154), of which there are many varieties spread through Europe. 
The introduction of the Pheasant into Europe dates as far back 
as the expedition of the Argonauts, about 1300 B.c. The com- 
panions of Jason met with this bird on the banks of the Phasis, in 
