17^ AN131ALS IN MENAGERIES. 



trymen, stationed at that settlement, to the existence of 

 a bird in the neighbouring tracts, which would be the 

 most valuable addition that any menagerie or museum 

 in Europe, could receive. 



In general size, structure, and proportions, this mag- 

 nificent bird resembles the common species : the head 

 and neck are equally naked and carunculated, but there 

 does not appear any tuft of hairy feath,ers on the 

 middle of the neck. The feathers of the lower part 

 of the neck, the interscapulars, the scapulars, and of the 

 under plumage, are of a rich green bronze, with a line 

 of black, and another of copper green, at the edge of 

 each. This colouring becomes more brilliant towards 

 the. rump, wdiere the bronzed green changes to a nne 

 sapphire blue, but in some lights to an emerald green ; 

 the bronzed border gradually becoming broader : these 

 parts also reflect a brilliant copper red, rendered more 

 striking by a velvet-black line, w^hich divides it from 

 the green and blue tints. The upper tail covers and 

 the tail itself have an ocellated spot, partly blue and 

 green, surrounded by a black circle, and edged on the 

 side of the tip with a broad band of golden copper : 

 there are about four ranges of these ocellated spots, 

 separated by a grey space marked by dusky brown lines. 

 The flank feathers are like those of the rump, but they 

 are of a deeper green, and the golden line is more ru- 

 fous : the lesser wing covers are emerald green, with a 

 narrow velvet-black band ; the next range are golden 

 copper : spurious wing and greater wing covers brown, 

 with transverse white bands ; quills the same ; but the 

 outer margin of the shorter primaries, and nearly all 

 the secondaries, are white, forming a band. Legs ele- 

 vated, and apparently red in the living bird : the spurs 

 stronger and sharper than in the common species. 



