274 J. Delacour—Pheasant Notes : Status at Liberty and in Captivity


relatives are much rarer still ( C. inopinatus), and have never been

brought alive.


Of the true Peacock-Pheasants, all but two (P. schleiermacJceri, from

Borneo, and P. Jcatsumatce, from Hainan) are represented in my collec¬

tion. Two, the Chinquis, or Gray, and Germain’s, from the Himalayas

and from Cochin-China, are not uncommon and rather well established

in captivity. The Malay (P. malaccensis) remains very rare and has

seldom bred, while the lovely Palawan, or Napoleon’s, seems to have

been successfully acclimatized in California ; it has bred with me for

the last two years.


The wonderful Ocellated Argus ( Rheinartia ) of Annam is still rather

common in the deep damp forests of Central Annam. It is difficult to

bring over and to acclimatize, but once it has got over the first few

months it proves hardy in Normandy. I have now several pairs,

and a few young are reared every year. The Malay race (P. o. nigrescens)

seems to be much scarcer.


Both forms of Argus are plentiful in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra,

and Borneo, where no danger of extinction seems to threaten them.

Although they live and breed well enough, if given some slight heat

during the winter, they never seem to become properly established

with us and we still depend on imported birds.


To end this survey of the Pheasants, we shall say that the Common

Peafowl, completely acclimatized in Europe, 1 is very abundant in

India, where it is protected. The fine Burmese, or Spicifer, is holding

its own in Burma, Siam, Indo-China, and Java, in spite of much

persecution. But it seems never to have become well established

in Europe.


1 The White variety and the Black-winged mutation are also well established.



