CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ASIA. 47 
(64.) The birds of Central Asia are still more im- 
perfectly known than the quadrupeds. We are com- 
pelled, in fact, to form our judgment of them more from 
the paintings executed by the Chinese, than from any 
specimens that have hitherto reached Europe. Many of 
these native painters, however, are particularly exact in 
their delineations of the common sorts ; and we may, 
therefore, place a certain degree of confidence in such 
as have not been actually seen by Europeans. From 
these drawings it becomes evident that there exists in 
Central Asia several large and beautiful gallinaceous 
birds, particularly pheasants, totally distinct from those 
of Southern Asia. It is here, in short, that we first 
detect the chief ornithological feature of Asia ; namely, 
the variety and beauty of its gallinaceous birds. It is 
probable that the golden (Nycthemerus pictus Sw.) and 
silver pheasants (yc. argentatus Sw.) of our mena- 
geries,—the latter one of the most chastely elegant birds 
of Asia (fig.12.), originally came from the interior of 
China. Many others will doubtless be discovered on the 
elevated table land of Asia, since even those species more 
peculiar to India are seldom met with in the maritime 
or low provinces. The splendid Impeyan pheasant 
(Lophophorus refulgens T.), and the other species of the 
same natural group, are stated only to inhabit the hilly 
and elevated districts of India. Our knowledge of the 
entomology of this region is chiefly confined to China. 
(65.) The third division comprehends Southern Asia, 
and presents a zoological region of uncommon interest 
