THE EARED-PHEASANTS. 



255 



Range. — Mountains of Manchuria and Pechi-li. 



Swinhoe says : " This bird is called Ho-ke by the natives. 

 The character Ho is a peculiar one, and especially applied to 

 this bird from ancient times. It do:s not mean Fire, as Mr. 

 Saurin states in his account of the bird in the ' Proceedings of 

 the Zoological Society.' Ke means Fowl. The feathers of 

 this bird were formerly worn by Tartar warriors." 



According to Abbe David, the brown Crossoptilon, which is 

 known by the name of Hoky in Pekin, is resident on some of 

 the wooded parts of the mountains of Pechi-li, but for some 

 years past it has become very rare, and it cannot be long before 

 it completely disappears, partly on account of the constant 

 persecution it is subjected to, and partly from the destruction 

 of the woods which form its headquarters. It is an extremely 

 gentle and sociable bird, living in large flocks, and subsisting 

 chiefly on grain, buds, leaves, roots, and insects. It seems well 

 adapted for domestication, the more so as it is easily fed ; but 

 in captivity one must provide the shade of a park and the 

 neighbourhood of a clear stream of water — that is, similar sur- 

 roundings to those it is accustomed to in its wild state. 



Mr. Misselbrook writes : " Hens lay from twelve to sixteen 

 eggs each at a setting, the time of incubation being about 

 twenty-eight or thirty days." This refers, of course, to birds 

 in captivity. 



Eggs. — Uniform pale stone-colour. Measurements, 2*3 by 

 1*7 inches. 



IV. PALLAS' EARED-PHEASANT. CROSSOPTILON AURITUM. 



Phasianus auritus, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. ii. p. 86 (181 1). 



Crossoptilon auritum, Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. i. pi. 17 (1872) 

 Prjevalsky, in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 420 (1877) 

 David and Oustalet, Ois. Chine, p. 406, pi. 108 (1877) 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 295 (1893). 



Crossoptilon ccerulescens, David, MS. ; Milne-Edwards, C. R. 

 Ixx. p. 538 (1870). 



