TETRAONIDiE. 



301 



naked skin of the orbits reaches to the base of 

 the beak, and is finished with very small warty ex- 

 crescences, which are apparently red in the living 

 bird. The female is unknown. 



GENUS CCLXXXIX.— PHASIANUS Auctorum, 

 PHEASANT. 



Generic character: vide Steph. v. xi. p. 221. 



GENUS CCXC—ARGUS, Temminck. 



Generic character : vide Steph. v. xi. p. 242. 



Ar. giganteiis. Shauo's Zoological Lectures, v. \. p. 209. pi. 68.— - 

 India. 



GENUS CCXCI.-NUMIDA, Linne. PINTADO. 

 Generic character : vide Steph. v. xi. p. 257. 



FAMILY III.— TETRAONIDiE. 



Rostrum mediocre, gracile aut suhcrassum, plerumque supra 

 convexum, hasi aut nudum aid plumosum: orbitae scepe nudce: 

 pedes tetradactyli aut tridacti/li, digit o postico breve, dehile, aut 

 nulla: tarsi -plerumque calacati: cauda breve, interdum nulla. 



Beak moderate, slender or rattier stout^ generally convex aboye, 

 the base naked or feathered : orbits often naked : legs with four 

 or three toes, the hinder one either short and weak, or de- 

 ficient : tarsi generally furnished with spurs : the tail short, 

 sometimes wanting. 



Th^ Tetraonidae are of less brilliant plumage than 

 the last family ; amongst which may be noticed se- 

 veral birds of large size, and of extraordinary struc- 

 ture : as instances of the latter the genera Odonto- 

 phorus and Syrrhaptes may be particularized. 



