18/2.] DR. J. MURIE ON THE HORNED TRAGOPAN. 731 



a pair of blue horns and dash out a beard-like apron of bright scarlet, 

 suggestive of a gnome or the evil one. 



The male is said to " show off" in three modes * : — 



JsL He stalks in front of the female; tb en crouching with tail 

 bent down, the head and neck move up and down with vibratory 

 jerks ; the wings have a flapping motion, bringing the red patch into 

 view ; the horns are raised, and the great scarlet wattle unfolds with 

 startling effect, while the bird draws himself up to full height as an 

 object of splendour. 



2nd. On some occasions he simply erects all his feathers, and 

 elevates one shoulder without showing his head-dress. 



3rd. Standing boldly on a perch he tosses the head, when the 

 horns and wattles appear for a few moments. 



I may add a fourth, viz. erection of the horns without display of 

 the wattle. 



2. Outward Head-dress in the Two Sexes. 



It is, however, to the structure aud physiology of the apparatus 

 that I invite attention. In a study of the phenomena several speci- 

 mens, and in different stages of development, have been investigated 

 by me. 



My first example was a young female, wherein externally there 

 was only a nipple-like process, representing the so-called horn, and 

 little or no development of wattle. On removal of the skin of the 

 head, two small processes, arising from the parietals or postfrontals, 

 were apparent, one on either side. These consisted only of tough, 

 elastic, fibrous material, firmly adherent to the bone, and without any 

 special vascularity around. 



I come now to speak of the older birds, and for the sake of preci- 

 sion give in detail a description of two. One was bred in the Gar- 

 dens in June 1864, and died of tubercle of the liver in May 1867. 

 This adult male was in good plumage, but not so brilliant in hue as 

 the newly imported and breeding-specimens from India. The draw- 

 ings (Plate LX.), sketched from the fresh body, bring out the impor- 

 tant points worthy of consideration. 



The horns exteriorly are of a beautiful azure-blue colour, soft, 

 yet tough and elastic to the touch. Each free portion measures 

 07 inch in length. Pressure of the finger upon the occipito-fron- 

 talis directs the horns upwards almost to the perpendicular ; but when 

 at rest or in their usual position they lie slantingly backwards. Or- 

 dinarily they are hidden by the feathers, but when erect pout out 

 between the lateral black feathers and the gorgeous red ones of the 

 vertex of the cranium. 



The superficial blue skin structure, continuous with the horn 

 covering, runs forwards upon the upper border of the orbit, and en- 

 circles the latter, where it is partially covered by short dark-coloured 

 feathers. It extends more strongly marked the whole length of the 

 lower mandible from the angle forwards. It is bare, and prominently 



* Bart.lett, " Eemarks on the Horned Tragopans," Intellectual Observer, 

 Sept. 18G3. where lie refers to Mr. Wood's notes &c. 



