244 



GIGANTIC ARGUS. 



Arg-us giganteus. Temm. Gall. Ind. 678. 



Phasianus Argus. Linn. Sj/st. Nat. I, 272. 4.'—GmeL Si^,st^ 



Nat. 1. 742. — Lath. Lnd. Orn. 2. 629. 3. 

 L' Argus, ou Luen. Buf. Ois. 2. 36l. — Gent. Mag. 1 768. pL in 



p. 521. 



Argus Geant. Temm. Pig. et Gall, 2. 410. male. 427. female. 

 Argus Pheasant. Lath. Gen. Syn. 4. 7 10. 3. 



The male of this rare but beautiful species 

 measures five feet six or eight inches from the 

 beak to the tip of the tail : its body is about the 

 size of that of the Gigantic Cock : the beak is 

 pale yellow : the fore-part of the head and the 

 beginning of the throat are covered with a gra- 

 nulated skin of a fine scarlet colour : the irides 

 are orange : round the eye the skin is dusky : the 

 forehead, the top of the head, and the occiput, 

 are adorned with small velvety plumes of a fine 

 changeable blue colour, forming a slight crest on 

 the hind head : the lower part of the neck, the 

 breast, the belly, and the thighs, are of a reddish 

 brown, each feather being irregularly spotted 

 with deep yellow and black : the top of the back 

 and the lesser wing-coverts with black spots, 

 edged with small stripes of ochrey yellow : part of 

 the back, the rump, and the upper tail-coverts, 

 are bright yellow-ochre, spotted with brown, re- 

 sembling the skin of the leopard : the wings, 

 which consist of very large feathers, are the most 

 remarkable part of the bird ; the primaries have 

 their shafts bluish, and the secondaries pure white ; 

 the ten first quills have their outer webs dull 

 white, sprinkled with black spots, surrounded by 



