72 Remarks upon the Homed Tragopans. 



" The male bird had three distinct modes of ' showing off' 

 (if I may be allowed the expression), the most characteristic of 

 which I have endeavoured to portray in the coloured plate. 

 When this attitude is assumed, the bird, after walking about 

 rather excitedly, places himself in front of the female in the 

 next cage ; the body is slightly crouching upon the legs, the 

 tail bent downwards ; the head is kept violently jerking down- 

 wards, and this causes the horns and wattle immediately to 

 appear. The wings have a flapping motion, and the bright 

 red patch on them is fully displayed. On one occasion I heard 

 a loud tapping noise, as if a person near were knocking the 

 railings with a small stick ; it, however, proceeded from the 

 bird, each movement of the wing being accompanied by a tap. 

 I could not understand how this noise could have been pro- 

 duced, as the wings did not touch the ground, except, perhaps, 

 at their extreme ends, which would not be sufficiently stiff to 

 cause such a loud noise; this sound therefore is, no doubt, vocal. 

 The whole of the neck appears to be larger than usual during 

 this action, and also the horns, which vibrate with every v move- 

 ment. This wonderful display is concluded by the bird sud- 

 denly drawing himself up to his full height, with the wings 

 expanded and quivering, the horns erect, and the wattle fully 

 displayed. 



" The bird courts the ' ladye love ' in his own cage, very 

 much after the same manner as the common pheasant {Phasianus 

 colchicus), by simply erecting all his feathers and elevating one 

 shoulder, thereby exposing a greater surface to view, without, 

 however, showing his head-dress. 



" The third mode of display is by simply standing boldly 

 erect on an elevated perch, and giving the head one or two 

 sudden shakes, when the horns and wattle appear for a few 

 moments. 



" The male horned pheasants have two or three distinct call 

 notes ; the one most frequently heard is much like the quacking 

 of a duck j another is a loud and somewhat hoarse and plaintive 

 cry, which is repeated at intervals of a few seconds, louder and 

 louder each time. A third note is the " crowing," very diffe- 

 rent from that of tho common pheasant, but accompanied by 

 the same sudden and rapid fluttering of the wings as in that 

 bird. 



M I 7nay add that the wattle is ordinarily contracted, and con- 

 cealed by tho leathers, no sign of it appearing. The display 

 takes place chiefly, if not exclusively, during the breeding 

 season, and even then it occurs but rarely ; and a person who 

 really means to seo it must often wait an hour or two, and 

 have a large stock of patience in store. Tho females are at 

 least one quarter less in sizo than tho opposite sex, and, 



