1 16 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE BREEDING OF [Feb. 4, 



Heu number three laid two eggs. These were put under a hen ; 

 and one bird was hatched, the other egg being addled. This bird 

 also lived for five weeks, and then died. 



Hen number two laid a second sitting of two eggs. These she sat 

 upon herself; but both were addled. 



Hen number one laid a second sitting of two eggs, and began to 

 sit on them on July 9th. On the 2ad of August two birds were 

 hatched. This shows the time of incubation to be twenty-four days. 

 The male took no part in the incubation. 



I am glad to say that I have succeeded in rearing these two birds 

 up to the present time, and that both are doing well, and are, I hope, 

 out of danger, as they are now nearly three months old. I find the 

 habits of these birds as near as possible those of the Peacock 

 Pheasant {Polyplectron). The faculty of flying begins very early, 

 the young being able after four or five days to mount a high perch, 

 and so to roost under the large wings of the parent bird. The 

 difference in the sex of the young birds is shown by the males being 

 much larger than the females, and also of a brighter colour. 



As will be seen by these notes, the three hens have laid altogether 

 ten eggs. Two have laid four each, and one bird two eggs. Five 

 eggs were bad ; and five birds were hatched, of which three died, and 

 the other two are now living in ti>e Gardens. 



I am glad to be able to add that the two young Argus Pheasants 

 hatched last year are still thriving, and show every prospect of being 

 likely to attain maturity. This is the more gratifying, as none of 

 the continental gardens or amateurs, I believe, have yet succeeded in 

 breeding this bird. M, Vekemans, of Antwerp, who has been so 

 successful with most of the Pbasianidae, writes me that though he 

 has succeeded in hatching the eggs, he has never been able to rear 

 the young birds. 



I exhibit a skin of a chick of the Argus Pheasant (Plate VII.) 

 which was hatched in our gardens in July last, and died when about 

 ihirty-five days old ; also some eggs of this species. 



The egg (Plate VIII. fig. 1) is of a rich coffee-colour, finely punc- 

 tured throughout, with a darker blotch at the large end. It 

 measures about 2' 6 by 1'9 inches. 



2. The Peacock Pheasant {Polyplectron chinquis). 



Males of this species were introduced into our gardens in 1857; 

 but no females were received until 1S64. The birds paired and 

 began to breed in 1866, and have continued to do so nearly every 

 year until the present time. 



Unlike most of the PhasianidEe in captivity, the Polyplectrons pair, 

 and it is not practicable to keep one male for several hens. Mr. 

 Missel brook has furnished me with the following notes on the repro- 

 duction of this species. 



liepori on the Polyplectrons. By B. Misselbrook. 



The Polyplectrons pair and begin to breed in the second year of 



