184 



THE FORK-TAILED COCK. 



Gattus furcatus TEMMINCK. 

 PLATE X. 



Coq ayam-alas ; Gallus furcatus, Temminck, Histoire Na- 



turelle des Gallinaces, ii. p. 261 PL Coloriees,pl. 483 



Gallus Javonicus, Horsfield. 



THIS curious Cock was first described by M. Tem- 

 minck in 1813. It is nearly two feet in length to 

 the extremity of the tail. The cheeks are bare, the 

 head furnished with a simple entire comb, and the 

 throat with a single large wattle springing from the 

 centre : they are all bright red. The head, neck, 

 and upper part of the back, are remarkable, from the 

 short and rounded form of the feathers : the centre 

 of these feathers is of a deep metallic blue, which 

 shades towards the edges to a golden-green, and at 

 the extremities they are finished with a narrow band 

 of veiy deep black. The feathers of the lower part 

 of the back and tail-coverts lengthened as usual, 

 are of a deep black in the centre, and are bordered 

 with a narrow stripe of pale yellow : those forming 

 the wing-coverts are of the same form, but the pale 

 narrow border is of a rich orange-red : the whole 

 under parts are deep black. The tail is said to be 

 carried more in a line with the body than usual, and 



