PERICROCOTUS SPECIOSUS. 



Great Pericrocotus. 



Turdus speciosus, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 363. 



Pericrocotus speciosus, Strickl., Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 282, Pericrocotus, sp. 3. 



Muscipeta princeps, Vig. in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc, part i. p. 22.— Gould, Cent, of Birds, 



pi. vii. 

 Phcenicomis princeps, Gould, Cent, of Birds, text to pi. vii. — M'Clell. in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vii. p. 156. — Jerd. 



Madr. Journ. Lit. and Sci., vol. x. p. 243. 

 Black and Scarlet Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., p. 146. — lb. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 96. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. 



p. 273. 

 Shah Soki-kapir, Hindoos, Dr. F. B. Hamilton. 

 Sahelee, in the Himalayas, Dr. Royle. 



The physical characters of the great country of India are favourable to the existence of the most varied 

 forms of animal life ; between its lofty alpine regions and the hot plains below, every kind of country 

 supervenes ; consequently in no part of the world can ornithology be more effectively studied, or is the 

 Class Aves more completely represented. The snow-capped mountains, the sunny sides of the great 

 mountain ranges, the forests clothing the lower hills, and the plains are all tenanted by peculiar forms : 

 in the bleak and lofty regions birds of sombre hue occur; those of the hotter and temperate districts, on 

 the other hand, are distinguished by their gayer colouring ; and it is there that the bird here represented 

 and numerous other nearly allied species are found, the whole forming one of the best-defined groups in 

 ornithology; when seen in their native woods, the contrasted hues of their fiery-red plumage and the 

 green foliage with which they are surrounded must be marvellously striking. 



If not the most richly coloured, the present bird is the largest and finest member of the genus, as well as 

 one of the most beautiful of Indian birds. The male was figured in my "Century" under the name of 

 Muscipeta princeps, but most modern authors considering it to be identical with the bird to which Latham 

 gave the name of speciosus, I have deferred to their opinion, and adopted that appellation. The parts of 

 the country it inhabits and the extent of its range have not yet been very clearly defined. Independently of 

 the southern slopes of the Himalayas, Mr. Blyth states that it sometimes occurs in the vicinity of Calcutta, 

 and also gives Sylhet, Arakan, Tenasserim, and the Malayan Peninsula as other countries inhabited by it ; 

 but I am inclined to believe that it is not this, but a nearly allied species which is found in those countries. 

 I know it is extremely probable that its range extends southwards from the Himalayas throughout the 

 peninsula of India, but I believe that it becomes more rare as we recede from the mountain ranges. 



Mr. Jerdon says, — " I shot one specimen of this splendid bird in a dense and lofty jungle in Goomsoor, 

 hopping about the upper branches of high trees, and only once again observed it. At this time, which 

 was just before the commencement of the hot season, and when insects were least abundant, it descended 

 to the ground to pick up an insect, and returned immediately. This habit I, on several occasions about 

 the same time, saw resorted to by other birds, from whose usual manners it was equally foreign, viz. 

 true Flycatchers (M. Banyumas and M. melanops) : on the same tree was a grey and yellow bird of the 

 same size, which, judging from analogy, was the female. In the stomach of the one I killed were the 

 remains of several insects, chiefly Coleopterous." 



Lieut. Tickell states that it is " sometimes found solitary, at others flying in small parties ; " and 

 Dr. F. B. Hamilton informs us that it " cannot be tamed, and when taken always languishes and dies." 



The late Captain Boys obtained specimens at Bumourie, Feb. 12, 1843, and noticed that the eye is dark 

 brown ; the bill and legs black ; and the food, birds and insects. 



The late Hon. F. J. Shore mentions that he "found it in warm places all over the hills in the Doon ;" 

 and that on the 7th of July, 1828, he " saw a large flock and killed several individuals of each sex at 

 Paoree ; " he further states, that " during the first year of their existence their colours are not so bright, 

 especially the yellow of the female, which is then a light dirty greyish-yellow ; the greenish-yellow of the 

 lower part of her back also does not extend so high up." 



The male has the entire head and neck, back, wings, two central tail-feathers, and the basal portion of 

 the lateral ones deep glossy-black ; all the under surface of the body, under surface of the shoulders, a large 

 patch in the centre of the wing, an oblong mark near the tip of the external web of four of the secondaries, 

 the lower part of the back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and the apical three-fourths of the lateral tail-feathers, 

 of the very finest scarlet ; bill and feet black ; irides blackish-brown. 



The female has the forehead, face, wing-marks, under surface of the body and shoulders, and the 

 extremities of the lateral tail-feathers, fine rich yellow; occiput, back of the neck and scapularies grey; 

 Avings black, the greater coverts margined with olive ; tail black ; rump and upper tail-coverts wax-yellow ; 

 bill and feet black ; irides blackish-brown. 



The Plate represents both sexes of the size of life. 



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