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GENUS POLYPLECTRON, TEMM. 



THIS genus was established by Temminck, from 

 the I'Eperonne of Buffon, the Peacock Pheasant of 

 Edwards and Sonnerat, the Pavo bicalcaratus and 

 Tibetanus of Gmelin's Linnaeus. We think there 

 is no doubt that both this species and that of our 

 Plate VI. was known to Gmelin ; while the repre- 

 sentations of Buffon and Sonnerat might have been 

 taken from either. Prior ornithologists retained 

 these birds with the peacocks, and that place is as- 

 signed to it in the last edition of Cuvier's Regne 

 Animal. Since the institution of the genus, how- 

 ever, the P. Tibetanus has been examined, and two 

 additional birds have been discovered, which agree 

 with the characters assigned to the type, and all dif- 

 fer from the peacocks in the modifications from which 

 Temminck has proposed to form his distinctions. 



They inhabit the Indian Islands or China, and 

 seem almost equally hardy with the peacock, living 

 and thriving well in confinement ; and, if they could 

 be procured in sufficient numbers to ensure a stock, 

 would form a most lovely addition to the ornamen- 

 tal poultry-yard. The chief distinction is in the 

 form of the tail ; it is rounded and very ample ; 

 the feathers stiff, and forming a plane surface. It is 



