78 



CLASS-AVES. 



ORDER GAL LINAGE A. 



hooked, but broad and blunt, fit for scratching; the first three primary 

 quills shorter than the others, the first shortest of all. 



2. PHASIANUS (Gr. ipatnt, a river of Colchis). Beak of moderate size 

 and strong, base naked, upper mandible vaulted, convex, and curved to- 

 wards the tip ; nostrils basal, lateral, and covered with an arched membrane ; 

 cheeks naked and warty ; wings short ; tail much graduated, conical, and 

 consisting of eighteen quills ; legs in the male armed with a conical spur ; 

 three toes in front connected by membrane to the first joint, one toe 

 behind. 



3. TRAGOPAN (Gr. rpa-yot, a Goat). Beak large, short, strong, and 

 much curved ; upper mandible rather swelling, lower straight ; nostrils 

 basal, lateral, covered with the naked cere, and half closed by a large mem- 

 brane ; in the male the head is crested ; behind and above each eye a 

 slender fleshy hom curving backwards and downwards ; throat naked and 

 wattled ; the female has neither fleshy horns, wattles, nor nudities ; wings 

 short ; legs strong and short, in the male armed with spurs ; claws long 

 and straight. 



4. CRYPTOSYX. General characters same as those of the Pheasants ; 

 the hinder claw is, however, wanting, and the tarsi are without spurs. 



The general characteristics of the " other genera of tin's family" follow 

 the " Description of the Species " contained in the Illustrations. 



GALLIXIDA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



CALLUS Cock. The Domestic Cock (G. Domesticus) is too well known 

 to require a minute description. He is remarkable for the stateliness 

 of his gait, his courage, and vigilance, and his attention to his feathered 

 mistresses, which commence when he is about eight or nine months old. 

 He is extremely jealous, and very irascible, and, so long as he has strength, 

 will not permit the intrusion of any stranger into his domestic circle ; hence 

 originate the frequent combats which an ill-managed poultry-yard presents. 

 The disposition to fight is shown more especially among Cocks which have 

 not lived together in the same yard, as if to try their strength. But their 

 courage is often exerted in defence of their Hens against other birds. 



The Cock generally becomes old and useless in the course of three years, 

 but those which are of larger size last much longer, as they do not come so 

 early to maturity. In his habits he is particularly clean, being continually 

 occupied in trimming and ordering his feathers with his bill. And although 

 his crowing is not the most melodious music, he takes especial care to be 

 the loudest, and outcrow if possible, any neighbouring Cock ; for which 

 purpose he may be seen listening with attention, and if he be answered, 

 replying in a shriller and louder note of defiance than before : this is re- 

 peated many times, till one or other is tired, or fairly beaten. 



The Hen, like the Cock, is furnished with a comb and wattles, but of 

 less size, and less brilliant hue than his. She is, as is generally the case 

 with birds, smaller than the Cock, and her plumage more sombre : her tail, 

 although vertical, is not ornamented with the long feathers which pecu- 

 liarly distinguish him : neither does she crow, nor make any noise, but that 

 known as clucking, which is generally indicative of her having laid an egg, 

 except a harsh scream, which is common to both Cock and Hen when they 

 are frightened. Amongst themselves Hens are extremely quarrelsome and 

 violent, and if they find one which is either weak or maimed, attack her in 

 a body, and frequently destroy her. Her fecundity is very great, and she 

 will commonly lay two eggs within every three days throughout the greater 

 part of the year, except moulting-time, which occupies two months. After 

 having laid about twelve eggs, she prepares for sitting, a period which may 

 be distinguished by her cries and great uneasiness, and from the time it 

 commences, occupies twenty-one clays, during which time she rarely leaves 

 the nest; and, after the eggs are hatched, attends her little progeny with 

 the utmost care and attention, leading them about, finding food for them, 

 and collecting them under her wings on the slightest appearance of danger. 

 During this time she becomes exceedingly courageous, and will face almost 

 any animal who molests her in defence of her young. 



It is observed that Fowls breed more freely in warm than in cold 

 climates, although even in the latter they live anft thrive : they are not 



found in the northern parts of Siberia, and are kept in Greenland only as 

 rarities. 



Sonnerafs Cock (G. Sonnerati), Plate 9, is about two feet four inches in 

 length, from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail ; it is therefore 

 about a third larger than our Domestic Cock. These birds are remark- 

 ably distinguished from every other species of Cock, in the size and flatness 

 of the quill of the feathers on the head and neck, forming a white stripe 

 throughout the whole length of the feather to the tip, where it becomes 

 expanded into a round film of a cartilaginous structure, very delicate and 

 highly polished. The female, always smaller than the male, has neither 

 comb nor wattles, and the throat is covered with feathers, in both which 

 points it differs strikingly from our Hens ; the plumage of the under parts 

 resembles that of the Cock, but the colours are duller. These birds are 

 found wild in the woody plains of Hindustan ; they strut along boldly, and 

 fight with great fury. 



The Crested Cock (G. Macartney!) is about two feet long ; beak yellow ; 

 the head is ornamented with a tuft of feathers deprived of their barbs, 

 except at the tip, whence arise numerous small barbs, which are distinct, 

 and expand like a fan ; a naked, thick, violet-coloured membrane, which 

 forms the prolongation of the nostrils, extends over the sides of the head, 

 and encircles the eyes ; it rises up around the root of the beak, and forms 

 a loose membrane, which passes towards the occiput, and below each eye 

 produces a little process or beard ; the upper and under parts black, witli 

 shades of violet; the feathers on the sides edged with bright red; \vin_ r - 

 coverts black, edged with golden green ; the broad feathers of the rump 

 are of a golden red, or colour of fire ; they are shaded with coppery rose 

 colour, and clouded with purple and violet, which also colour the upper 

 tail-coverts ; the four middle quill-feathers are of a bright red, and arched, 

 the others black ; legs grey, nails and spurs brown. The males generally 

 carry the tail in a horizontal position, but they often raise it ; its two planes 

 are not so vertical as in the common Cock. This beautiful bird was first 

 mentioned by Sir George Staunton, in his account of the Embassy of Lord 

 Macartney to China; it was met with at Batavia, in a menagerie, but is 

 found wild in the forests of the Isle of Sumatra. 



PHASIANUS Pheasant. Pheasants and Cocks were considered as 1- 

 longing to the same genus, till the latter were removed by Brisson from the 

 former to constitute a new genus under the title Gattus. Pheasants are 

 distinguished by the bare patches on the sides of their head ; their tail is 

 long, narrow, and arching, and the middle two quills of much greater length 

 than the others. Their gait is different from that of the Cock, which carries 

 its head and neck erect, whilst the Pheasants stoop, and extend their neck 

 forwards. They are also less hardy, and cannot be brought up in confine- 

 ment without great care, instead of thriving like Fowls with little trouble. 

 The male Pheasants are remarkable for the beauty and brilliancy of their 

 plumage, are often furnished with crests, and their tails are very long; the 

 plumage of the female is more sombre, she never has any crest, and her tail 

 is always shorter. They are polygamous, and make a trifling nest among 

 the grass or in bushes. Pheasants are found in Asia and Europe, but neither 

 in Africa nor America. 



The number of species is twelve, of which two are figured on Plate 9, 

 viz., the Silver or Pencilled Pheasant (P. Nycthemerus), and Amherst's 

 Pheasant (P. Amherstia?). 



The former is about two feet eight inches in length ; the wings when 

 closed do not reach beyond the origin of the tail, which is long and very 

 cuneiform. Upon the head is a long crest of purplish-black, decomposed 

 feathers, falling back; the white plumage of the upper parts of the neck 

 and body is marked obliquely with very delicate black streaks ; the front of 

 the neck and under part of the body purplish-black ; wings and tail white 

 streaked with black, except the middle two caudal quills, which are quite 

 white; the irides reddish-yellow ; beak yellowish, but incliiiiiiL!; to brown 

 at its tip; legs bright lake, and the long sharp spurs white. The female 

 is of smaller size than the male. This species is a native of the northern 

 parts of the Chinese empire ; but it has been introduced into almost all the 

 countries of Europe, where, as it requires little more care than common 



