122 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



hen as a mate, a brief period of association and then separation again, the hen to rear a 

 family, the cock to take up his calling for another female of his species. 



The display of the Argus is the climax of all the phenomena I have mentioned 

 above. Throughout all the long period of feather growth and the subsequent months of 

 calling, the ornamented feathers are concealed by the closed wings, and not until the 

 female appears, and, I am inclined to think, only after she has returned again and again 

 to the dancing arena, is the' final display accomplished. The wings of the female are 

 normal in character, but in the male Argus the primaries are ornamented with brilliant 

 colours and a complicated pattern, while the secondary feathers are enormously 

 lengthened and enlarged in every way, and ornamented with a row of twenty or more 

 ocelli, more than 25 mm. across. In addition to these marvellously shaded eyes, the 

 webs are marked with oblique stripes and rows of dark but richly coloured spots, 

 reminding one of the tawny markings on the coats of some of the large carnivores. At 

 the moment of display the Argus faces the hen, and spreads his wings to their widest 

 extent, at the same time bringing them down in front until they meet in front of his 

 head, the two outermost primary feathers lying parallel side by side, their tips resting on 

 the ground, and the innermost secondaries completing the great feather circle over the 

 back. The tail is also erected and somewhat spread, although from the view-point of 

 the hen the two long central feathers projecting high above the wing fan are all that 

 is visible. The general effect is of a great, vertical, concave screen or fan of feathers, the 

 bird itself, body, head and feet, being completely hidden from view. 



Naturally the bird is rather anxious now and then to see what effect the display of 

 his beauties has upon the female, or if indeed she is still present ; and to accomplish 

 this the head is poked through between two of the feathers, either of the right or left 

 wing, a momentary glance taken, and the head withdrawn. Thus through the peep-hole 

 in his living curtain the feathered actor is able to keep watch upon his audience. In old 

 males, shot toward the end of the breeding season, it is possible to locate this peep-hole 

 by the rather disturbed, frayed condition of the web in its immediate vicinity. It seems 

 to be confined to one side, each individual Argus being either right or left-winged in 

 this respect. 



I have seen this display a number of times in captivity and once in a dancing arena 

 in Sarawak, and, as is the case with all pheasants, if not indeed with birds in general, 

 the female shows not even a momentary passing interest. The sudden raising of the 

 wings sometimes startles her, making her retreat a few steps. Usually, however, like 

 peahens before the display of the peacock, she goes on quietly feeding, often even turn- 

 ing her back upon the splendid performer. There is no question in my mind that 

 the wonderful colouring, the elaborate ball-and-socket illusion of the ocelli, the 

 rhythmical shivering of the feathers which makes these balls seem to revolve— all 

 are lost, as esthetic phenomena, upon the nonchalant little hen. She in no wise reacts 

 to their beauty, nor spends a moment in conscious admiration or study or calculative 

 comparison with other exhibitions which she may have seen on neighbouring arenas. 

 The effect on her is wholly subjective. Nevertheless we have no right to say it is any 

 the less effective, or that the quality of the first summons, the vigour inspiring the 

 display, the character of the feather-trembling, with its audible and ocular consequences— 

 that all these do not have a profound influence, whether wholly subconscious or hypnotic 



