MALAY ARGUS PHEASANT 121 



again driven back, and this continued at least a dozen times ; and how much longer it 

 would have continued I cannot say, but a movement on my part attracting the birds' 

 attention, they caught sight of me, and instantly, before I could fire, disappeared into 

 the jungle. The Argus never made the slightest attempt to attack the fireback, but 

 retreated at once on the slightest movement of the latter towards it, nor did I see the 

 fireback strike the Argus with either bill, wings, or spurs." 



The spurless Argus would have had little chance against the well-armed fireback in 

 a more serious set-to, and discretion is doubtless its usual policy. Nevertheless, I am 

 certain that fierce encounters take place between adult male birds and youngsters 

 aspiring to a ready-made arena. Here again I must call upon my Bornean evidence for 

 proof of this assertion. In leaving the subject of enemies we should stop for a moment 

 and give the Argus credit for maintaining itself, handicapped as it is by vocal, alar and 

 terrestrial phenomena, all of which, taken in connection with its defencelessness, are 

 assets to its enemies. Its continued existence under these circumstances is one of the 

 most splendid achievements of life to be observed among the whole class of birds. 



HOME LIFE 



The entire home life of the Argus is influenced by its peculiar habits of life. Such 

 an elaborate preparation for courtship as is furnished by the trio of vocal calling, 

 specialized place for display and the marvellous feather elaboration can hardly be 

 supposed to function for only a short time, or for the wooing of a single mate. And so 

 we find that the season of courtship is an extended one. The calling, indeed, is kept 

 up almost throughout the year, always excepting the two or three months of moult, and 

 as chicks still with down attached have been found in February and in August, we can 

 state with certainty that in its own haunts the Argus breeding season extends well over 

 half the year, and probably much longer. Many of the facts in regard to captive birds 

 are of value here, and we find that they correspond quite closely to the habits of the 

 bird at liberty. 



The most remarkable thing about the Argus is its habit of clearing a space in the 

 heart of the jungle for the purpose of displaying its plumage to the female. I shall go 

 into the details of this phenomenon more fully in my treatment of the Bornean Argus, but 

 in a word, a space, roughly circular, four to six yards across, is by some means cleared 

 of all growing and dead vegetation, not even a spear of grass or a tuft of moss being 

 allowed to remain. This arena is usually on the summit of a hill, or at least on the top 

 of a ridge, seldom on low or level ground. An exception are the Argus which inhabit 

 the extreme southern tip of Sumatra, nearest Java. Here the country is low and flat, 

 and much of it is rather swampy. The eruption of the neighbouring island volcano of 

 Krakatua killed almost all the old jungle growth of this district, the branches being 

 broken by the weight of stones and ashes. The new forest consists of very dense 

 undergrowth and young trees, with here and there a solitary survivor of the old 

 primitive jungle. Elephants and Argus Pheasants are very abundant here, and the 

 dancing-places of the birds in this strangely metamorphosed region are built on small, 

 dry oases. To such a jungle arena the male Argus entices the hens by his loud kweaus, 

 and then displays his plumage to them ; the result intended being his acceptance by the 



VOL. IV j^ 



