ZOOLOGICAL G EGG RAPHY. 
[part m. 
340 
developed for display (as shown in our figure) that they 
become almost, if not quite, useless for their original purpose of 
flight ; yet the colours are so sober, harmonizing completely 
with the surrounding vegetation, and the bird is so wary, that 
in the forests where it abounds an old hunter assured me he had 
never been able to see a specimen till it was caught in his 
snares. It is interesting to note, that during the display of the 
plumage the bird’s head is concealed by the wings from a 
spectator in front, and, contrary to what usually obtains among 
pheasants, the head is entirely unadorned, having neither crest 
nor a particle of vivid colour, — a remarkable confirmation of 
Mr. Darwin’s views, that gayly coloured plumes are developed 
in the male bird for the purpose of attractive display in 
the breeding season. The long-tailed bird on the right is 
one of the Drongo-shrikes {jitloliuh remifer), whose long bare 
tail-feathers, with an oar-like web at the end, and blue- 
black glossy plumage, render it a very attractive object as it 
flies after its insect prey. On the left is another singular bird 
the great Broad-bill (Corydon sumatranus ), with dull and sombre 
plumage, but with a beak more like that of a boat-bill than of a 
fruit-eating passerine bird. Over all, the white-handed Gibbon 
(Hylobatcs lar) swings and gambols among the topmost branches 
of the forest. 
Reptiles and Amphibia, — These are not sufficiently known to 
he of much use for our present purpose. Most of the genera 
belong to the continental parts of the Oriental region, or have a 
wide range. Of snakes Rhabdosoma ■, Typhlocalamus, Tetragono- 
soma, Acrochordus, and Atropos, are the most peculiar, and there 
are several peculiar genera of Homalopsidm. Of Oriental genera, 
Gylindrophis, Xenopeltes , Calamaria , Hypdrhina, Psammody- 
nastes, Gonyosoma, Tragops , Dipsas , Pareas , Python, Bnngarus, 
Naja, and Callophis are abundant; as well as Simotes, Ablabes, 
Tropidonotus, and Dcndrophis , which are widely distributed. 
Among lizards Hydrosaurus and Gecko are common; there are 
many isolated groups of Scincida?; while Draco, Calotes, and 
many forms of Agamidm, some of which are peculiar, abound. 
Am ong the Amphibia, toads and frogs of the genera Micrhyla, 
