lis ON THE BREEDING OF PHEASANTS. [Feb. -J, 



In 1876, July 24th, a pair of these birds were presented to the 

 Society by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. The female died; but 

 another female (received in exchange, July 17, 1877) laid three eggs 

 in April 18/8. These eggs were placed under a common Hen ; and 

 two young birds were hatched, which are now living in the gardens. 



Mr. Misselbrook reports that the period of incubation in C. satyra 

 is the sfime as in the other species, viz. twenty-eight days, and re- 

 marks that he has never seen the male of this species take part in 

 the sitting. Otherwise its habits are similar to those of C. tem- 

 minchi. He adds that all Tragopans, both young and old, are great 

 grass-eaters, and are also fond of dried fruits, such as currants, 

 raisins, &c., and all kinds of wild berries, such as hawthorn-berries, 

 privet-berries, and ripe elder-berries. 



The egg of C. satyra (Plate VIII. fig. 4) resembles that of C. 

 temmincki, but is considerably larger, measuring nearly 27 inches 

 by 1-6. 



5. The Mantchurian Crossoptilon {Crossoptilon mantchu- 

 ricum). 



We received our first examples of this fine bird in July 1866'. 

 They were both males ; but females were obtained from tlie Jardin 

 d'Acclimatation of Paris later in the same year. They bred in 1867 

 and 1868, but have not thriven with us since that period. 



Mr. Misselbrook has supplied me with the following notes on this 

 species : — 



" The males and females of the Crossoptilon are the same in colour 

 and appearance when young, and it is not easy to distinguish the 

 sexes. In the adult birds the males are recognizable from being 

 furnished with a small blunt spur, whereas the females have none. 



"The hens lay from twelve to sixteen eggs each at a sitting, the 

 time of incubation being about twenty-eight or thirty days. I say 

 twenty-eight or thirty days, as I have known the time to vary one 

 or two days in the time of sitting. 



"I have not seen the males take any part in the incubation. 



" The great peculiarity in the young of these birds being their ex- 

 ceeding tameness ; there is not the least shyness about them, they 

 being more like the domesticated chicken." 



The egg of the Crossoptilon (Plate VIII. fig. 5) is of a uniform 

 pale stone-colour, and measures about 2'3 inches by Iv. 



EXPLANATION OP THE PLATES. 

 Plate VII. 

 Chick (niale) of Argus gign/nfeus, from an example which died on 25th August, 

 1878. 



Plate VIII. 



Fig. 1. ^gg of Argtis giganicus. 



2. Egg of Poiyplectron chinquis. 



3. Egg of Ceriornis temmincki. 



4. Egg of Ceriornis saiyra. 



5. Egg of Crossu2)tilon mantchuricum. 



I See P. Z. S. 1860, p. 418. 



