514 



greedily, and never attempted to escape from its 

 perch. ] destroyed it on aceaunt of the fill h and 

 gtench which it generated- 



Amongst the pheasant tribe, Malacca boasts of 

 the Argus pgatificus of Temm'mnk, or the P ha mi- 

 nus argus of Lin nap us, the Ar^xs pheasant, m 

 justly celebrated for its superb plumage. Ineiud- 

 ing the two long tail feathers, the mate measures 

 five feet three inches in lengUi- The Siecondary 

 quill feathers are brilliaTit with oc el I ate *?poL«*, 

 (whence the name of Argus is given to the bird,) 

 and are manufactured into fans by the Chinese, 

 i-ike the rest of the pheasant tribe, il is a remark- 

 ably shy bird. 



There are also the Phasiamts ia^Jtiit^if or Fire- 

 backed pheasant, which is a very handsome bird, 

 about the size of a barn door fowl, and the Pha^ 

 tfitimis ntft'themcrus, or Pencilled phesusant. This 

 last is, however, a very rare bird. The Cr^pto^ 

 nlv curofiiitus of Tern mine or the Malacca par- 

 tridgCj is a very handsome bird, having a cheisnut 

 crest on the occiput, the body being generaHy of a 

 dark violet colour, and the back and rump of a dark 

 shining green. Its fiesli resembles thai of the 

 European partridge in flavor, and ihc bird can be 

 kept in confinement. The Cutuniix U^vHlis, or 

 common Indian quail— the Chineise qnail, Tetrad 

 SinensiSt Lin. — the Tttrao vtntits, or Green quail 

 the Charadrius piinmih^ Liiu or Golden plover — 

 the Ckarudnus hkitkulat Liu, or Hinged pluver— 

 the Annaria vuigarist or Common sand lark — 

 Ga/iifiago media, or Coratnon snipe— the Gaiimago 

 mtdiUfOT Scohpekv gaUinuia hm, the Jack snipe 

 —the ScuhiJQx JSinat^ts, or Chinese, or painted^ 



