THE GREY PEACOCK PHEASANT 



Polyplectron bicalcaratum bicalcm'atum (Linnaeus) 



Names. — Generic : Polyplectron, many-spurred ; Gr. ttoXv?, many, + TrXrj/cTpov, plectrum, something to 

 strike with, a cock's spur. Specific : bicalcaratutn, two-spurred, L. bi., two -\- calcar, a spur. English : Common 

 or Grey or Iris Peacock Pheasant. German : Spiegelpfau or Tschinquis ; Pfaufasan. French : Chinquis ; 

 Eperonnier Chinquis. Native : Doungkulla (Arakan and Pegu) ; Shuay dong (Tenasserim) ; Munnowur, Deyo- 

 dahuk (Assam) ; Deo-dirrik (Garo Hills) ; Daung-kula (North Burma and Yunnan) ; VVo-graw (Kachin) ; Chin- 

 tchien-Khi, from which Chinquis is derived (Chinese). 



Type. — Locality: "Habitat in China." Describer : Linne. Place of Description : S3-s. Nat. 1766, p. 267. 



Brief Description. — Male : Throat white. Entire plumage dark brown, finely dotted with white. 

 Mantle, scapulars, wing-coverts and inner secondaries all with a large, round, central ocellus, near the tip green and 

 violet, changing to purple, framed in successive rings of black, brown and dirty white. The long tail- coverts and 

 the tail-feathers each has a pair of similar ocelli, changing from green to purple. Female : Brown, mottled with 

 pale brown. Ocelli on back and wings reduced to black spots, with some violet gloss ; none on tail-coverts, and 

 reduced on the tail. Throat white. 



Range. — Burma, Eastern Yunnan and Siam. 



THE BIRD IN ITS HAUNTS 



I HAD spent several weeks in the haunts of this bird, one of the most difficult to 

 observe of all the pheasants, and then there came that last day in camp which, to one 

 who forms associations quickly with all pleasant wilderness places, is always a day of 

 sadness. One starts out with a point of view very different from that of the preceding 

 days ; each ridge crossed brings the thought, " I shall never see this again." One's 

 eyes strain here and there, searching for the many things Avhich have been hidden, 

 hoping that, at the very last, some obscure point in the life of the wild creatures will 

 be revealed. 



My last view of the Grey Peacock Pheasant in a wild state was made memorable by 

 several incidents. I had early mounted the highest ridge I could find and looked long 

 on the tumbled forest which stretched out over Yunnan. Then, for two hours, I 

 clambered painfully along the steep side of a ravine Avithout observing anything of 

 especial interest, except a number of squirrels, which filled the gloomy forest with news 

 of my progress. They were beauties, grizzled rufous above, with the under-parts 

 startlingly marked with five longitudinal bands, two of white, and three of black. 

 The forest trees were just bursting into bloom, and the white and pale buff" masses of 

 blossoms could be seen for miles across the lower hills, while their delicate fragrance 

 was carried by the wind to even greater distances. Trogons sat upright on the 

 swinging lianas or darted with deep-bowed wings after passing insects. With their 

 wine-coloured heads, rich tawny backs, and warm rose under-parts, they formed a 

 beautiful mosaic of soft hues, flashing like a many-coloured jewel as they veered in 

 mid-air, or, on their perch melting as quickly into the forest shadows. 



VOL. IV 57 I 



