Plumage. 251 



during the extreme severity of winter, or of procuring for them 

 in that season a proper substitute for the insect food which 

 never fails them on the lower elevations of the Himalayas. If 

 they could become as thoroughly accUmatised as the common 

 pheasant, they would indeed be a superb ornament to our 

 parks and plantations, though perhaps no great acquisition 

 to the table. It is many years ago since I tasted the Monaul, 

 and, speaking from memory, the flavour appeared to me much 

 the same as that of peafowl, the breast being tender and 

 palatable in the young birds, but no part being fit for anything 

 but soup in old specimens. The Monaul has bred in England, 

 both in the Zoological Gardens of London and in the possession 

 of the Earl of Derby, where the female is said to have laid on 

 one occasion thirteen or fourteen eggs." 



In appropriate locaUties there should be little difficulty in 

 rearing the young, which should be amply supphed with 

 custard and ants' eggs, in preference to much grain, and the 

 fowl rearing them should be allowed as much freedom as 

 possible, in order that she may supply the young chicks with 

 appropriate insect food. 



The following is the description of the two sexes and young : 

 " The bill of the male is dusky brown or horny ; iris sombre 

 brown ; legs greenish lead colour ; naked orbits ; small blue 

 head ; crest and throat green, and highly metallic ; the 

 lanceolate feathers on the hind neck amethystine or bright 

 purple, changing in lights into cupreous green Mdth a golden 

 glance ; middle of the back white ; but all the rest of the upper 

 parts, including the upper tail coverts, rich blue, glancing 

 with green and purple, highly glossed, the purple predominating 

 on the back and rump, the green on the wing and tail coverts ; 

 remiges plain black ; tail pale rust colour ; all under parts 

 black, and without gloss. The female is entirely cinnamon 

 brown ; the feathers shafted pale, and irregularly barred and 

 marked sepia ; primaries blackish ; chin and throat white. 

 Entire length of the male, about 24 inches ; wing, 11 ; tail, 7|. 

 The female is a Httle smaller. The young males are at first 



