CERIORNIS CABOTI, Gould. 



Dr. Cabot's Horned Pheasant. 



Ceriornis Caboti, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part XXV. p. 161. 



Among the many eminent and liberal men I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with during my visit 

 to the United States of America in the summer of 1857, was Dr. Cabot of Boston, a gentleman highly 

 distinguished as a traveller, and for his devotion to the study of natural history. In his collection were many 

 rarities, some of which especially interested me, but none more so than the remarkable bird represented on 

 the opposite Plate, and which had been received by him from China. Dr. Cabot very kindly permitted me to 

 bring this fine bird to London, for the purpose of figuring it in the present work ; which being done, it will 

 now be returned to him with many thanks from myself, and I am sure those of my readers generally. I 

 could obtain no other information respecting the bird than that it was from the country I have mentioned, 

 and, I believe, the neighbourhood of Macao. I was for some time in doubt as to whether it was not a mere 

 variety of some previously known species of the genus, but after repeatedly and very carefully comparing it 

 with the whole of them, I could come to no other conclusion than that it is distinct from them all, and there- 

 fore gave it the name of Ceriornis Caboti, as a just tribute to its owner for his liberality. In form it is a 

 perfect Ceriornis, and in the colouring of its head and the whole of its upper surface it is equally so ; but it 

 differs in its markings from all the other species of the genus. It was the beautiful buff colouring of the 

 breast which so perplexed me, as it is not to be found in any of the others ; but it is so regular and so well 

 defined, that I am convinced it is a good species. As a matter of course, the well-known Chinese member 

 of the genus, Ceriornis Temmincki, was the bird with which the most careful comparison was instituted ; it 

 is, however, found to differ from that bird, both in the markings of the back and in the tints which pervade 

 the under surface. In the Temmincki these tints are of a semi-uniform character of colouring, the general 

 hue being grey, while in the Caboti the same part is buff; colours of such an opposite nature, that they will 

 not change from one to the other ; I remark, too, that the legs are somewhat longer than those of any 

 other known species. 



Forehead, sides of the head, nape, and chin black ; crest and sides of the neck deep red ; all the upper 

 surface mottled with black, rich chestnut, buffy white, and black, the latter coloration assuming the form of 

 a large circular spot at the tip of each feather, this buff mark greatly increasing in size on the scapularies 

 and the greater wing- and tail-coverts ; primaries and tail-feathers very dark brown, crossed with toothed 

 markings of buff mottled with black ; breast and under surface deep sandy buff, stained with red and black 

 on the flanks, under tail-coverts and thighs. 



Total length, 18i ; bill, If; wing, 10 ; tail, 7\\ tarsi, 3i ; middle toe and nail, 2-f. 



The figure is about two-thirds of the natural size. 



