242 



ARGUS. ARGUS. 

 Generic Character. 



Rostrum capite longius, com- 

 pressum, rectum, basi nu- 

 dum ; maxilla fornicata, 

 versus apicem deflexa. 



Nares laterales, in medio 

 maxillae sitae, membrana 

 semiclausae. 



Caput lateraliter et coUum 

 deplumata. 



Pedes tetradactyii, graciles; 

 tarsi mutici. 



Ca^/ Ja ascendens, compressa; 

 rectricibus duodecim, (ma- 

 ris duabus mediis elongatis.) 



Argus. TemmincJc, Vieillot. 

 Phasianus. Linn. GmeL Lath, 



Beak longer than tlie head^. 

 compressed, straight, the 

 base naked, the maxilla 

 arched, towards the tip bent 

 down. 



Nostrils lateral, placed in the 

 middle of the maxilla, and 

 half closed by a membrane. 



Head with its side and the 

 neck without feathers. 



Feet four-toed, slender ; tarsi 

 smooth. 



Tail ascending, compressed ; 

 with twelve feathers ; (the 

 two middle ones of tlie 

 male elongated.) 



There is but one species belonging to this 

 extraordinary genus, which differs considerably 

 from any of the order, in having the secondary 

 wing-feathers much larger than the primaries j in 

 fact, this character is peculiar to the present 

 genus, which is still further distinguished by having 



