THE Altars I'llh'ASAXT. 'jfjl 



The primaiy feathers, with whitisli external barljs, speckled 

 with brown, and with inner burlis of the culoiir of a fall(.iw 

 deer, dotted with wliite, have their slnifts of the most 

 beautiful .sky Ijlue. The naked skin of the face and neck is 

 Iji-ight l)lue, and contrasts well with the bronze hue of the 

 plumage. The female neither exliilnts the extraordinary 

 development of the tail and wings nor the eve-like spots of 

 the male. Jler plumage is darker, and the total length is 

 only twenty-six inches. 



The two spieciniens (a male and female) figured in the 

 engraving had lieen living some f(wv years in the Zoological 

 Gardens in the IJegent's Park when the first editi<;in of this 

 work was published, at which time onlv five specimens of the 

 Argus had been seen alive in l'hiro|)e ; since then it lias been 

 more frequently imported, and many adult specimens have 

 been received in the Zoological (birdens, and several y<:)uun- 

 have been bred there. In addition t(j those in the Regent's 

 Park, othei's have lived in the ])ossessi(ni of the King of Italy, 

 and in the Z(jological Gardens at Amsterdam. It is singular 

 that the Argus, although >o exceedingly shy when wild, 

 becomes perfectly tame in caj)ti\"ity, returning to its aviary 

 when allowed to escape, as related Ity Lieut, ixilhain in the 

 ft /.v for 1881. 



The ornainentation of the secondary wing featliei-s in the 

 male Argus is one of the most wonderful in the whole 

 animal kingd(.)m ; the (jrnatneiital maris are usually termed 

 ocelli or eyes, but they much nnjre closely resemble ball and 

 socket ornaments. As these ocelli are not visilde when the 

 wing is closed, the mode in which they were (lis])la,yed has 

 hitherto rather lieen conjectured than describeil, a,nd e\en in 

 recent works the lurd has lieen portrayed displaying its 

 plumage in a perfectly unnatural m.aiiner. 



Fortunately, however, the pair of Argus pheasants huanerly 

 in the Zoological Gardens, Eegeut\s Park, were closely watched 

 for some days in succession by the late ilr. T. AY \\ ood, 

 who had several opportunities of seeing the male Ijird display 



