HORNED TRAGOPAX— rfrionifa Lathami. 



his small dimeusions, as bold us any of tlmui, and if be thinks himself aggrieved will 

 attack a great Cochin China or Spanish cock with such spirited audacity that he will not 

 unfrequently come off victor in the contest. The Bantam is of little use to the poultry 

 keeper, and may bo classed among the fancy fowls, of whicli there are so many and ever- 

 varying breeds. Two examples of these birds may be seen perched on the paling just 

 above the game-cock's tail. 



The common Ijarn-Door Fowl is of no particular breed, no pains Ijeiug taken to 

 prevent crossing, but is a kind of compound of all the preceding, except perhaps the 

 bantam, which ought to be kept away from them as tending to diminish the size of the 

 birds and their eggs. The regular egg trade is a very complicated and curious affair, 

 giving a livelihood to thousands, and possessing a national importance of which few 

 would dream whose only notion of eggs is connected with the breakfast table or the 

 salad bowl. 



A MOST singular group of birds now comes before our notice, of which the Hokned 

 Tragopan affords an example. The males are remarkable for the loose pendent skiu 

 which hangs from the base of the lower mandibles, and can be inflated at the pleasure of 

 the liird, and for the two lengthened protuberances beliind the eyes wliich generally hang 

 listlessly down th(^ cheeks, but can be erected at will and tlien look as shown in the 

 illu.stration. In all these binls llio plumage is ample and the tail short. As far as is at 

 present known they are found in tiie higher and more mountainous districts of Asia, 

 having been taken in Thibet, Nepal, and the Himalayas. 



