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THE MONAUL PHEASANT. 
Among tlie gallinaceous birds, the monaul rightly claims pre- 
cedence by virtue of his surpassing beauty. Imagine a crest of long 
slender feathers, with spatulated extremities, glistening of a fine 
metallic green ; throat of the same colour ; the nape of the neck and 
top of the back of carmine, with all the brilliance of the ruby; the 
back and lower part of the neck of a bronze green, with gleams of gold ; 
the mouth, upper wing-coverts, and tail of a violet or bluish green ; 
PEACOCK PHEASAM. 
some of the lower back feathers white ; the under part of the body 
black, with green and purple tints flashing over the breast ; the brown 
eye surrounded by a bluish ring ; — imagine all this mixture and con- 
trast of hues, blended together in perfect harmony, and lighted up with 
an indescribable sheen — imagine all this, and then wait until you see 
a monarch to realize fully his imperial magnificence. " Not Solomon 
in all his glory ! " 
As if disdaininof to mingle with the "common herd," our monaul 
