ORDER GALLING. 239 



The feet, which have no spurs, are red. The tarsus is long, 

 and the interdigital membrane engages tlie toes as far as the 

 first phalanx. The bill and claws are yellow, and the iris of 

 the eye, a bright orange. We know nothing of the mode 

 in which these birds build their nests, or concerning the 

 brood. 



The female of the argus has so little resemblance to the 

 male, that an inexperienced observer might pronounce it a 

 distinct species. The volume of the body is alike, but the 

 great difference in the length of the tail and wings, and espe- 

 cially in the form of the last, makes the female appear much 

 smaller than the male. There are, also, great differences in 

 the distribution of the colours ; and the eyes, wliich add so 

 much elegance to the appearance of the male, are wanting, 

 and also the two long feathers implanted in the centre of the 

 tail. 



The existence of the Superb Pheasant was considered, for a 

 long time, and with great reason, to be doubtful. Sonnini 

 gives a description of it, after the Chinese pictures, and con- 

 cludes by remarking, that in all probability it existed only in 

 the imagination of the Chinese painters. 



It would appear, that it is of this bird, and not of the argus, 

 that Marco-Polo has spoken in his travels. He says that the 

 Chinese considered it as a very rare bird, and that the fea- 

 thers were sold at a very high price. The length of the tail, 

 he adds, was three feet. 



No complete specimen of this bird exists in any collection 

 in Europe, nor is one very likely to be obtained, in conse- 

 quence of the strict prohibitory laws in China, against the 

 exportation of any of the species. This difficulty is increased 

 by the bird's being a native of the central and northern parts 

 of that mighty empire. The father of M. Temminck, who 

 was treasurer of the Dutch East India Company, did every 

 thing in his power to procure a couple of these birds. He 



