150 THE WESTERN TRAGOPAN. 



is only when the bird is more or less excited that the horns 

 are raised, or the apron-like lappet extended. Both are of course 

 absent in females, which, moreover, have no naked skin round 

 the eye. 



Females. — Length, 24 ; expanse, 32 ; wing, 10 ; tail 9. Legs 

 and feet greyish ashy. 



Wilson says : — " The young male for the first year is scarcely 

 to be distinguished from the female ; the second, the red fea- 

 thers on the neck and throat and the white spots begin to make 

 their appearance ; the third, he gets the handsome plumage of 

 the adult males. The flesh is tender and well flavoured." 



As to this last, tastes differ ; I should say that they were, 

 as a rule, much like a common village fowl ; no better, and often 

 a good deal worse. 



The Plate, though really very good in other respects, has the 

 legs of the female wrongly coloured, the eye piece of the male too 

 pink, the bill too light coloured, and omits the blue edgings and 

 markings on the lateral portions of the gular apron. 



Some females are coloured nearly as in the plate, but the 

 majority are altogether greyer. 





