ii8 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



or chicks. Of eight individuals which have lived in these gardens, the average length 

 of life was three years and four months, while one reached the age of nine years and 

 three months. An egg collected in Siam is bluish white, with a faint reddish shade, 

 and measures 48 by 38 mm. 



In captivity these birds soon become tame and familiar, and I have never seen a 

 cock which would not soon come up to its keeper and take meal-worms from his fingers. 

 At the same time they are very strong, and with their spurs are able to do great damage 

 to other birds. If allowed to run freely with poultry they will engage every cock in 

 combat, and no matter how skilful or strong a game-cock may be, it has no chance 

 against this active Fireback of the Siamese wilderness. A writer in "The Field" tells 

 us that even when the opponents of such a captive pheasant were double its weight they 

 had no chance against it. He goes on to say that '' At length its pugnacious propensities 

 became such a nuisance that my neighbour's servants seized it one day and cut down its 

 long, sharp spurs to mere stumps. The poor bird, however, though shorn of its strength, 

 lost none of its spirit, and assailed its gallinaceous enemies as recklessly as ever. These 

 soon found out that its weapons were gone, and plucking up courage, paid it off with 

 interest for former injuries ; in a week or two my Diardigalhis had scarce a feather left 

 on it." The same writer says, that when in good health, the Siamese Fireback incessantly 

 uttered a sweet, mellow cooing and clucking. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male. — Feathered parts of the head, chin and throat black ; crest of ten 

 or more feathers, black glossed with steel-blue. These feathers are 85 mm. long, with 

 thickened bare shafts for about two-thirds of the entire length, the extremity being 

 formed of a long tuft or bunch of disintegrated barbs. The neck and the entire mantle 

 and breast, together with the scapulars, wing-coverts and secondaries (these latter chiefly 

 on the outer webs), show a beautiful even vermiculation of white and black, producing 

 almost a monochrome grey. The scapulars, lesser and median wing-coverts show a 

 black sub-terminal band, narrowly edged with white. Mid-back, shining gold on the 

 broad, disintegrated terminal fringe which forms the visible portion of the feathers, 

 then an equal area of pale buff, the remaining basal portion vermiculated grey like 

 the mantle ; lower back, rump and shorter tail-coverts with a terminal fringe of rich, 

 dark, shining crimson, the remainder of the feathers being glossy steel-blue. Longest 

 tail-coverts purplish-green with a rather narrow terminal fringe of clear, shining sage 

 green. Primaries brownish-black, faintly mottled with grey. Belly, lower sides, flanks 

 and under tail-coverts black, with a broad terminal fringe of steel-blue. Tail-feathers 

 black, glossed with purplish-blue on the outer webs, greenish on the inner. The 

 rectrices are strongly curved, the three inner pairs being remarkably long and pointed. 

 Bill yellowish, darker toward the base ; facial skin, wattles, legs and feet, scarlet ; spurs 

 and claws whitish horn colour. Bill from nostril, 18 mm. ; wing, 233 ; tail, 322 ; 

 tarsus, loi ; middle toe and claw, 58; spur, 20. 



Adult Female. — Top of the head and neck brown, shading into smoky grey 

 on the chin and throat. Mantle clear, dull chestnut, posteriorly becoming more and 

 more mottled with black, then changing rather abruptly into the pattern of the 



