168 NILS OYLDENSTOLPE, ZOOLOGIOAL RESULTS OF THE SWEDISH ZOOLOUICAL EXPEDITIONS TO SIAM. 



The Red Jiingle Fowl is generally distribiited över the whole country where it is 

 quite common in every kind of jungles. 



Among the mountains on the boundary between Siarn and Tenasserim it was ex- 

 ceedingly common and numbers of specimens were shot for the kitchen. Their flesh 

 forms an excellent eating and is highly appreciated even by the natives. 



351. Polyplectrum malaccensis. Scop. — The Malay Peacock Pheasant. 



Polyplectrum chinquis: Gairdner p. 151. 



Pölyplectron bicälcaratus: Muller p. 432; Gyldenstolpc I p. 66. 



$ Koon Tan 1914. W = 182 mm.; T = 225 mm.; C = 21 mm.; Tarsus = 56 mm. 



Peacock-Pheasants were fairly rare in the parts of the country visited by the Ex- 

 pedition. As they are extremely shy and very seldom take to their wings, only running 

 about among the dense undergrowth, they are seldom shot or seen by European sports- 

 men. The best way to get them is by using snares which are also used by the natives, 

 not only for catching Pheasants but for every kind of game-birds living on the 

 ground. 



During my whole journey in Siarn I myself neither saw nor was able to shoot a 

 Peacock Pheasant, and the female specimen, which is among the collections, I owe to 

 my native collector who succeeded in shooting it among the Koon Tan Hills. 



As shown by Hartert (No vitates Zoologien, Vol. 9, 1902, p. 539) the bird formeri y 

 known as Polyplectrum chinquis must be the same bird which was called Pavo bicälcaratus 

 by Linn^eus and that was the bird which has two ocelli on each tail-feather. 



The specimen I obtained differs somewhat from the description. On the longer tail- 

 coverts the ocelli are almost obsolete and only marked by dark spöts. The central tail- 

 feathers are also without any well-marked ocelli and they are only indicated by dark 

 spöts. The outer tail-feathers, however, have very well-marked ocelli on both webs. 

 The ocelli on the mantle, scapulars, wing-coverts and outer secondaries are fairly large 

 and of a distinet violet gloss. 



352. Argusianus argus. Linn. — The Argus Pheasant. 

 Argusianm argus: Grant p. 123; Robiuson I p. 87. 



The Argus Pheasant only inhabits the southern parts of the Siamese Malaya. 

 When I was marching from Koh Lak up among the mountains on the boundary to 

 Tenasserim I only once (on the 4th of December 1914) caught a glimpse of an Argus Pheas- 

 ant which was flushed up from the path but unfortunately I missed it. At no other 

 occasions did I meet with this beautiful species during my travels in Siarn. 



In the Siamese Malaya it is called »Nok eh wali» by the natives. 



