206 PHEASANT. 



Argus Geant, Temm. Pig. Gall. 8vo. ii. 410. — male. 427. — femelle. 

 Ai-gus Pheasant, Gen. Syn. iv. 710. 



SIZE of a Cock Turkey; total length five feet. Bill like that 

 of our Pheasant, pale yellow; fore part of the head, and beginning 

 of the throat, covered with a fine scarlet, granulated skin ; irides 

 orange ; round the eye the skin is dusky, with a black mark like a 

 whisker on each side of the lower jaw ; the top and hind part of the 

 head and neck changeable blue; at the hindhead a forked crest; the 

 lower part, back, and wing coverts, marked irregularly across with 

 reddish brown ; the nine outer quills pale yellow brown, marked 

 with small dusky spots, as large as tares, on the outer webs, and 

 smaller spots of white on the inner; the eleven remaining quills 

 dark brown, with round and oblong spots on both webs, and on the 

 outer, near the shafts, a row of large eyes, from twelve to fifteen in 

 number, the largest an inch in diameter, somewhat resembling those 

 on a Peacock's train ; the throat, breast, rump, and upper tail 

 coverts, dull orange, marked with round dusky spots; the tail con- 

 sists of fourteen feathers: the two middle ones three feet long, the 

 next eighteen inches, gradually shortening to the outer ones, which 

 are only twelve inches, the colour dusky brown, dotted with white ; 

 besides which the two middle ones have round white spots, encircled 

 with black on the outer, and brown, irregular ones, surrounded with 

 dusky, on the inner webs ; the lower belly and vent are dusky, mixed 

 irregularly with brown ; legs like those of a Turkey, greenish ash- 

 colour.* One, supposed to be the female, had the sides of the head 

 and neck, from the chin before, the middle of the crown, nape, and 

 neck behind, furnished with feathers rather elongated ; the rest of 

 the neck and breast ferruginous ; back and wings beautifully mottled 

 brown, rufous, and clay-colour ; quills and outside of the wings 

 ferruginous; belly, thighs, and vent, mottled as the back, but paler; 

 tail not unlike the back ; bill and legs dull yellow. 



* That figured in the Phil. Trans, has no spurs on the legs behind ; but in a drawing 

 done by Mr. Edwards, to be seen in his Memoirs, the legs have a short, blunt, spur at 

 the back part. 



