THE ARGUS PHEASANT, OR GIGANTIC ARGUS. 167 
short velvety feathers. The lower part of the 
neck, breast, belly, and thighs, are reddish brown, 
each feather regularly spotted with dull yellow and 
jlack ; the upper part of the back, and lesser wing 
coverts, are covered with large black spots, sepa- 
rated by a narrow line of an ochreous tint ; the up- 
per tail covers are of a clear ochreous yellow, with 
brown spots ; the longest of a paler tint, with the 
spots thicker than upon the back, and of a reddish 
brown in the centre. The tail is of a deep chestnut, 
sprinkled with white spots, surrounded with a black 
ring. The wings, of which the secondaries are three 
times the length of the quills, being about two feet 
ten inches long, from their unwieldy size, almost en- 
tirely deprive the bird of flight, but greatly accele- 
rate its pace when running, and, acting as powerful 
sails, furnish it with a mode of transportation or 
escape, possessing great fleetness. The power of 
flying, however, adds M. Temminck, is not altoge- 
ther denied to it; it sometimes rises from the ground, 
but the flight is always heavy, and kept up only for 
a short way, and upon these organs, and particularly 
upon the secondaries, is lavished the greater part of 
the beautiful adornment. When at rest, or not ex- 
cited, these spots are hardly visible, but when in the 
presence of his females, the wings are expanded and 
trailed upon the ground, displaying their beauties as 
the peacock exhibits his train, or the turkey his tail. 
At this time the tail is comparatively spread, and is 
raised erect. When it rests, it is carried in a line 
