530 Lieut. H. R. Kelliam on 



move_, when close behind me a Peafowl uttered its wild and, 

 under the circumstances, startling cries ; and the next moment 

 two large birds flew overhead, and settled among the trees 

 on the opposite side of the ravine. At the same time I heard 

 a rustling in the bushes, which was probably caused by the 

 boar, warned by the Peafowls^ cries that all was not safe. 



" Clambering up the sides of the ravine, I got within thirty 

 yards of the birds before they rose, but, having only a rifle 

 with me, was unable, in that light, to secure one. Still there 

 was very little doubt as to what they were.''^ 



Argusa giganteus (Temm.). The Argus Pheasant. 



This magnificent bird cannot be rare in the interior of the 

 country, as numbers are snared and brought into the Settle- 

 ments by the Malays ; but it is so shy, and frequents such 

 dense jungle, that it is very seldom seen. Personally I never 

 saw it wild — though while in Perak I had several brought 

 alive to me by the natives, also when at Malacca I saw the 

 skins of some which had been obtained near Mount Ophir. 



During January 1877 I spent a few days in a boat on the 

 upper reaches of the Perak river, shooting and collecting. 

 One afternoon, not very far from Campong, Sengan, I landed, 

 and striking inland a few hundred yards, came to a small 

 marsh, round its edges shooting a great many Golden Plover 

 [Charadrius fulvus) , Lapwing [Lohivanellus atronuchalis) , and 

 Snipe {Gallinago stenura). 



While busy shooting, the banging of my gun attracted some 

 Malays, who came to me, bringing with them a Crested Par- 

 tridge [RoUulus roulroul) and a splendid male Argus Pheasant, 

 both having been but lately snared, as the nooses were still 

 hanging to their legs ; but its captors had spoiled the beauty 

 of the latter by pulling out its long delicately-marked tail- 

 feathers and sticking them in their head-handkerchiefs. For 

 75 cents (about three shillings) I got both the birds, with a 

 small monkey and wicker cage thrown in, the latter ingeni- 

 ously made by splitting a bamboo and spreading the split 

 pieces out into an extinguisher-shape. 



On getting back to Kwala Kangsar I turned the Pheasant 



