46 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



"Studded" exactly expresses the effect, for so 

 beautifully shaded are these spots that they seem 

 to stand out from the feather like convex bosses 

 of metal. They are round, small and single on 

 the back and wings ; large, oval and double on 

 the tail and its upper coverts ; in all cases being 

 near the tip of the feather. His bill and legs are dull 

 black, eyes white, and face pale sickly yellow. 



The hen is considerably smaller than the cock, 

 and has the tail much shorter even in proportion, 

 this being less than two inches longer than the 

 wing in her. In general style of plumage she 

 resembles the male, but has a shorter crest, is duller 

 and darker in colour, and has, instead of eye- 

 .spots, iU-defined black patches, with only a faint 

 gloss of green. On the longest tail-feathers and 

 their coverts, even these poor apologies for eye- 

 spots are absent. Her bill, legs, and face are less 

 decided in colour, and her eyes grey. The male 

 is just over two feet long, with a fourteen-inch tail 

 and wing of over nine inches ; his shanks are three 

 inches long, provided with from one to three spurs 

 ■each ; his bill about an inch and a half from corner 

 of mouth to tip. 



The hen is only nineteen inches in length, with 

 a nine-inch tail, and wing of less than eight inches ; 

 the shank is only about a quarter of an inch shorter 

 than her mate's. 



The Peacock-Pheasant ranges from Sikkim 

 through Assam and Burma to Siam, always keeping 

 on or near hills, though not a bird of high elevations, 

 as it seems not to range above six thousand feet. 

 It frequents thick jungle on hill sides and ravines, 

 and is very wary and hard to approach. The male 



