136 PHEASANTS ADAPTED FOR THE AYIART. 



Fortunately, however, the pair of Argus pheasants now in the Zoological 

 Gardens, Regent's Park, has been closely watched for some days in succession by 

 Mr. T. W. Wood, and, having had several opportunities of seeing the male bird 

 display the magnificence of its plumage, he has made a drawing of the bird in 

 the act. At my request he has kindly favoured me with the following particulars : 



"It is with great pleasure that I comply with your request to give you a 

 description of the mode of display of the Argus. The male bird commences by 

 running about very briskly, bending his neck, and seeming to look at the female 

 * out of the corner of his eye ' ; he is evidently at this time in a very playful 

 mood, he elevates his wings (while still closed), and shakes them. Suddenly, when 

 close to the female, he throws his wings forward, the primaries resting on the 

 ground, the secondaries extending upwards, and the tertials having their upper 

 surfaces pressed together. At this time slight rustling sounds are heard, which I 

 have no doubt are produced chiefly by the movements of the side feathers of the 

 tail, as they are alternately moved outwards and inwards ; the large feathers of the 

 wings are also slightly waved, and moved at regular intervals downwards towards 

 the female. But the most remarkable circumstance is that the bird places his head 

 behind, or under one wing, so that in front there is nothing to intercept the view 

 of the observer of his plumage. With the head so placed, how is he to observe 

 his ' ladye love,' which, one would think, he must very strongly desire to do ? My 

 idea was, that by lowering his head a little he could peep between his wings ; but 

 Mr. A. D. Bartlett has told me that he has seen the head thrust through the wing^ 

 feathers, and Mr. E. Bartlett suspected this on finding some secondary feathers of 

 a specimen which he set up, disordered at their bases. I have drawn the head in 

 the position in which it has been placed when I have seen the bird display, and 

 not as described by Mr. Bartlett, although not for one moment doubting the 

 accuracy of such a keen observer, and I am sure I shall be excused for repre- 

 senting only what I have seen, especially as that is sufficiently curious. When I 

 have noticed the head it has been placed under the right wing; but I should not 

 think this is invariably the case. You are aware that I have previously called ' 

 attention to the very artistic shading of the large round spots on the secondaries, 

 and my opinion that the bird during display would so place his wings, that all the 

 lights on these spots would be upwards or towards the source of light, and the 

 shades downwards, has been confirmed by observation of the living bird." 



Erom my own observation I can fully confirm the statement of Mr. Wood, 

 namely, that the ocelli are so shaded as to represent the light coming from above 

 when the wings are expanded as the bird is displaying it.seK. In the frontispiece, 

 the ocelli of the secondary feathers nearest the tail have the light side nearest the 

 top of the feather, whereas on the first and second secondaries, those which are held 

 nearest the ground and most horizontally, the light is next the shaft of the feather. 



