MALAY OCELLATED PHEASANT 109 



general principles for five minutes, and then the call of the Ocellated one rang out 

 directly behind me ; so loud was it, I thought at first it came from overhead. Then a 

 second time and my ears rightly orientated it as a few yards behind. The light was 

 failing : in a few minutes it would be dark, and I could hear the bird moving. I was 

 hidden by a barrier of scrub. I attempted to leap to my feet and turned as I rose ; but 

 instead I merely fell awkwardly backward. Both of my feet were paralysed, asleep, and 

 would not support me. A second effort succeeded, and I saw the swaying stems close 

 together behind the fleeing bird, but never a glimpse even of a tail feather. 



This completes my experience with this rare and excessively wary bird. 



The species was first described from three specimens, two males and a female, 

 received by Lord Rothschild. They were collected by native hunters on the Ulu Dong, 

 a river which rises on the slopes of Gunong Benom. Robinson says that he found it to 

 be " by no means uncommon on the lower spurs of Gunong Tahang, apparently being 

 found in the same situations as the common argus, though perhaps it ranges somewhat 

 higher up the hills. Tail feathers of both species were found on the same showing-off 

 ground. Despite our utmost efforts, which included the manufacture of a fence trap, 

 two miles long, with snares every fifty yards, we only succeeded in catching two 

 specimens, of which one was utterly spoilt by a musang before the trap was visited, but 

 dozens of the common variety were secured, which formed a very welcome addition to 

 our commissariat. The single perfect specimen was shot by one of our Dyaks, who had 

 a singular gift for securing rare and shy ground birds." 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male. — Forehead and central crown of short, velvety black feathers. Lores 

 and narrow lateral crown line, widening posteriorly to behind ear-coverts, white with 

 rufous buff tips. Facial featherlets, lower cheeks and ear-coverts black. Extreme 

 anterior portion of median occipital crest black. All the main portion, silvery white and 

 hairlike. Chin white, throat strongly tinged with buff. 



Entire upper plumage black, dotted with round white dots. Few or no irregular 

 angulated lines or network-like pattern, only round, clear, white markings. Rufous 

 secondary markings present on almost all the feathers, but very inconspicuous against 

 the dark ground. Vestigial ocelli practically absent from secondaries, which, like the 

 primaries, show the same dotted white pattern as the dorsal plumage. Central rectrices 

 much darker as to background, otherwise similar to those of the Annam bird. 



The markings of the ventral surface show a good deal of chestnut. All the white 

 markings are perfectly round. Iris brown ; skin around eye bluish-grey ; bill tinged 

 with pink near gape ; legs and feet dark bluish-grey. Bill from nostril, 17 mm. ; wing, 

 373; outer tail-feather, 418; inner tail-feather, 1620; tarsus, 96; middle toe and claw, 

 76 mm. 



Female similar to ocellatus except for a strong buffy tinge on the lighter head 

 markings. Under surface is also much more rufous buff, parts of the breast and 

 mid-belly being almost free from dark markings. Bill from nostril, 16 mm. ; wing, 

 337; outer tail-feather, 233 ; inner tail-feather, 375 ; tarsus, 86 ; middle toe and claw, 

 66 mm. 



