THE INTELLECTUAL OBSERVER. 



SEPTEMBER, 1863. 



EEMARKS UPON THE HOENED TRAGOPANS 

 (CERIORNIS SATYRA). 



BY A. D. BARTLETT, 



Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, Eegent's Park. 



(With a Coloured Plate J 



Of this fine group of birds there are four well-known species ; 

 it may, however, be said that the most beautiful species is the one 

 above named, and the subject of these remarks. This species is 

 found in Nepal, Sikhim, and Hootan, in other words, the Eastern 

 Himalayas, while the next species in point of beauty (Ceriornis 

 Hastingsii) inhabits the Western Himalayas. Both species are 

 indiscriminately called Argus pheasants by Indian sportsmen, 

 which name, however, really belongs to a totally different bird, 

 which is found in Malacca, and certainly has never been met 

 with near the Himalayas. 



The great difficulty in obtaining and bringing living 

 examples of these birds to Europe has been well-known to all 

 collectors whose previous efforts have failed, and only two re- 

 corded instances are known of these birds having reached Eng- 

 land alive. Upon the first occasion one male only of Tragopan 

 Temninkii arrived, and upwards of twenty years passed before . 

 a second bird of this group made its appearance. In 1857 a 

 female of Ceriornis Hastingsii was brought home by Mr. Thomp- 

 son, who was sent to India by the Zoological Society to receive 

 and bring home a collection of these and other game birds that 

 had been collected for the society, and also for her Majesty the 

 Queen. Since the above date no others have reached this 

 country until the 31st March in the present year ; on that day 

 nine fine and healthy birds arrived — these were six males and 

 three females (as before stated of the species know as Ceriornis 

 Satyr a) . 



We are indebted to the zeal, ability, and persevering 

 VOL. iv. — NO. II. G 



