t 11 6 ) 
*The Horned Indian Pheasant. 
r ~W~^ HIS Bird is about the Bignefs of fome of our largeft Poultry, or of a middle 
w |__ Size, between a Hen and Turkey ; for Shape of Body and Proportion of Parts 
pretty much like a Turkey, and may be ranged with Fowls of the Poultry-kind. 
The Bill is fhaped like a Hen’s, of a brown Colour, more dufky towards the Point. 
The Noftrils, Fore-part of the Head, and Space all round the Eyes are cover’d with 
Bender black Feathers, refembling fhort Hairs; the Top of the Head is Red; from 
above each Eye tending backward (as fhewn in the Figure) fprings a Horn, of a callous, 
flefhy Subftance, round in Shape, of a fine blue Colour, and ending with a bluntifh Point; 
from the lower Mandible of the Bill hangs a Flap of loofe Skin down the Fore-part of 
the Neck, of an exceeding fine blue Colour, with Spots and Marks of Orange-Co¬ 
lour on it; bare of Feathers on the upper Side, but the under Side, which is detach¬ 
ed from the Neck, is cover’d with fmall black Feathers, as is that Part of the Neck 
that is cover’d by it; without Side of this Flap, down its Middle, is another loofe 
black Skin, joined to it, as it were, by its Edge only, and thinly befet with black Hairs. 
This Skin is of a wrinkled and foft Texture, and I believe the Bird may be capable of 
dilating or contracting it at Pleafure, after the Manner of the Turkey-Cock. The Fi¬ 
gure muft help my Defcription, the Head of this Bird being different from any Thing 
I have met with; the Neck and Breaft is of a full Red, inclining to Orange; a little 
Black is intermixed on the Neck behind ; the Breaft and lower Part of the Neck be¬ 
hind is thick fet with fmall white Spots, each Spot encompaffed with a Ring of Black. 
The Back, Wings, Tail and under Side, are of a pretty bright,yellowifh, brown Colour ; 
which, round the Bottom of the Neck, gradually foftens and intermixes with the Red. 
The Back and Wings have fmall tranfverle waved Lines of a darker Brown ; the 
white Spots on the Back, Wings, Tail and Belly, from being round, become gra¬ 
dually of the Shape of Drops of Pearl, with their fharp Ends towards the Bird’s 
Head, and the blunt Ends backwards. Thefe Spots are all encompaffed with Black; 
the Thighs are Brown, with tranfverfe dufky Lines; the Legs and Feet are like thofe 
of a Cock, of a whitifh Colour. It had Spurs, by which I judge it to be a Cock 
Bird. 
This Bird’s Head was fent in Spirits from Bengal in the Eaft-Indies % to Dr. Mead , together 
with a Draught of the whole Bird ; and as the Plead, which had the whole Neck to it, agreed 
with the Drawing, I fuppole the whole was pretty well performed; for which Reafon I have 
ventur’d to pubhlh this Draught, tho’ the principal Part only be drawn by me from Nature, the 
reft being copied from that Drawing. The Tail appear’d, in the Original Draught, a little 
brufhy at the End, as if broken off by being kept in a Cage or Coop: It was in Length, of the 
Proportion I have here given it; but I imagine this moft rare and curious Bird, in its Per¬ 
fection, has the Tail fomething, if not a great Deal longer; fo that I have left it doubtful by 
cafting it behind a Tree. I believe this Capital Bird has not been defcribed by any Author. 
The l earned and Curious Dr. Mead received with the above, other Drawings, in their natural 
Colours, of a great many rare Indian Birds, which I am fatisfied are all from Nature; but as I 
have profeffed to give Draughts and Defcriptions of Things only from Nature, I could not 
indulge the Inclination I had to make them publick. The Original Drawing is under-writ the 
Napaul Pheafant . 
<X,he 
