PHEASANT. 209 



fcaly ; the colour a dark brown : toes long ; between them, at the 

 bafe, a flight mennbrane : at the back part of the legs a thick, 

 fliorc fpur. 



The female is fmaller than the male, and of a lefs elegant fliapej Female. 

 the length twenty-one inches. The bill, and bare fpace round the 

 eye, as in the male : the general colour of the plumage brown j 

 the middle of each feather paler, or bufF-coloured, mottled and 

 barred with dark brown, appearing not greatly different from the 

 back of the Great Eared Owl : beneath the eye is a broad dufky 

 white band : the prime quills are black ; the fecond quills barred 

 black and ferruginous : the tail very fliort, hardly exceeding the 

 quills in length ; the colour of the feathers of it fimilar to the 

 back : the legs as in the male, but furnifhed with a blunt knob in 

 place of the fpur. 



Thefe birds inhabit India, but in no great plenty, being Place andMan- 

 brought from the hills in the northern parts oi Hindcjlan, to Cal- ners. 



cutta, as curiofities. Lady Impey attempted, with great probabi- 

 lity of fuccefs, to bring over with her fome of them to Eng- 

 land i but, after living on board the fhip in health for two months, 

 they caught a diforder from the reft of the poultry, fimilar to the 

 fmall-pox, and died in confequence. The food given them, 

 during the palTage, was rice in the hufk. Sir Elijah informs me, f\ 



that thefe birds are known in India by the name of Monaul, which ' ^ 



is foolifhly tranflated Mouth-Piece; that the male is called by 

 fome the Golden Fowl. They bear cold, but are impatient of 

 heat. The cock was never obferved to crow, but had a ftrong, 

 hoarfe cackle, not unlike that of a Pheafant. Specimens of 

 the male birds are now in the Leverian Mufeum. 



SuppL. Ee SIZE 



