NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 161 
The Argus Pheasant, (Argusianus argus), is a bird with a 
great reputation for beauty, but as seen alive in zoological 
collections it does not always come up to expectations. Both 
its secondary feathers—which when fully developed are of 
enormous length—and its primaries, are extremely beauti- 
ful; but unfortunately those beauties are not visible until 
the bird is dead, and its plumage displayed in a manner 
very rarely adopted by the living, captive bird. But the 
eyes on the huge secondary feathers are wonderful, and each, 
primary is a dream in ecru and brown tints, laid on in a 
most elaborate pattern. The Argus Pheasants are most sliy 
and wide-awake birds, inhabiting the dense, hot and moist’ 
jungles of Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, and 
are almost impossible to shoot. They are snared by the’ 
Dyaks and Malays, and after the skin has been removed and 
carefully preserved for museum purposes, the flesh is as fine 
eating as the breast of a quail and quite as palatable. A 
few successful attempts have been made to breed this 
species in captivity. 
The Impeyan Pheasant, (Lophophorus impeyanus), is the 
neighbor of the Himalayan tahr, the burrhel, the ibex and 
the markhor, and the delight of every sportsman who dares 
the rocks of ‘‘the Roof of the World’’ in quest of Himalayan 
big game. Its beauty is due chiefly to its metallic colors, 
and the splendid iridescence of its plumage. Its home is 
in the world’s most gigantic mountains, and it is not un- 
common for a bird that has flown out from a mountain-side 
and been shot on the wing to fall 2,000 feet, and beyond 
human reach. No wonder this bird is popular with Anglo- 
Indian sportsmen. 
The Pheasant Aviary is a double installation, and as an 
aviary for Pigeons and Doves it is quite as perfect as it is 
for Pheasants. 
During the year 1910 and part of 1911, the pheasants 
of the Old World were studied in their haunts by Mr. C. 
William Beebe, Curator of Birds. By reason of a cash gift 
to the Zoological Society made by Col. Anthony R. Kuser, 
he was enabled to make the expedition. The results will be 
embodied in an elaborate monograph, which probably will 
be published in 1912. 
