120 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



the tail-feathers waved and undulated behind, forming, under the conditions, the most 

 conspicuous part of the entire bird. The method of escape, as we have already seen, is 

 by running, the sturdy legs carrying the bird at great speed. But its hearing is so acute 

 that it must be seldom that the Argus has to resort to full speed. In its usual gait the 

 Argus cannot be said to be beautiful or graceful. When we see it in captivity walking 

 slowly about, we have a sense of being behind the scenes, with beauty for the present 

 sacrificed to utility ; when its wings are folded it is like a four-masted schooner in port 

 with sails furled and under bare poles. But when we have actually seen the display, 

 and know the marvellous possibilities of those folded wings, we forget the unpleasing 

 gait and the over-balanced effect of the furled pinions. Except when actually in display 

 the Argus is best when running at full speed or in flight. The female is far more 

 graceful at rest than her mate. 



DAILY ROUND OF LIFE 



I was able to gather much more data as to food in the case of the Bornean Argus, 

 for the birds which I secured in the Malay States almost invariably had empty crops. 

 The only note I can find in literature is that they feed on fallen fruit, which is swallowed 

 whole, one, about the size of a prune, being an especial favourite, and the birds also eat 

 ants, slugs and insects of various kinds. I found traces of ants and very small mollusks 

 still in their unbroken shells in the crop of one bird. I think the above enumeration 

 covers the diet fairly well. 



As to roosts, I must again refer to my account of the Bornean bird. In the case of 

 adult males this seems invariably to be near the dancing ground. In captivity the hen 

 and her chicks roost together from the third week until the following year. 



As regards friends and enemies, we know but little. I have never known the 

 Argus to be warned of danger by babblers— it asks naught of such service, being well 

 able to depend on its own senses, which are of the acutest. Such a habit of advertising 

 its whereabouts by the loud call, and unmistakably identifying its usual haunt by the 

 conspicuous clearing, would result in the swift destruction of any species of bird 

 endowed with ordinary means of perceiving danger. From what I observed, both the 

 ears and eyes of the Argus are very patently superior in keenness to the corresponding 

 senses of other pheasants. I have described the flight of two females from some real, 

 but to me unknown, danger, and in this connection it is worth while to repeat 

 Davison's account of the exceedingly interesting but wholly bloodless encounter between 

 an Argus and a Malayan crested fireback. " I had stalked an Argus, and while waiting 

 to obtain a good shot, I heard the peculiar note, a sort of chtiktm, chukun, followed by 

 the whirring noise made by the male fireback, and immediately after saw a fine male 

 fireback run into the open space, and begin to chase the Argus round and round its 

 clearing. The Argus seemed loath to quit its own domain and yet not willing to fight, 

 but at last, being hard pressed, it ran into the jungle. The fireback did not attempt to 

 follow, but took up a position in the middle of the clearing, and recommenced the 

 whirring noise with his wings, evidently as a challenge, whereupon the Argus slowly 

 returned, but the moment it got within the cleared space the fireback charged it, and 

 drove it back into the jungle, and then, as before, took up his position in the middle of 

 the space and repeated the challenge. The Argus immediately returned, but only to be 



