THE SIAMESE PHEASANT. 
Euplocamus pnelatus. 
1’lATE XXXY. 
The first specimens of the Siamese Pheasant transmitted to Europe were, I believe, those in the Museum at 
Leyden, to which M. Temminck attached the M.S. name Gallus diardi, but which Bonaparte afterwards 
preferred to introduce to science under.the longer title of Diardigallus prwlatus. To me, however, it appears 
that this bird is unquestionably a member of the Euplocamus group, which is intermediate between the 
true Pheasants (Phasianus) and the Jungle fowls {Gallus), and I have, therefore, great satisfaction in rejecting 
the hybrid generic appellation which Prince Bonaparte thought fit to impose upon it, in favor of a more 
simple name. 
In his works on the birds of Asia, Mr. Gould has given an excellent representation of the male of this 
species from a stuffed specimen transmitted to him by the late Sir Robert Schomburgk, Her Majesty’s Consul- 
General for Siam. Mr. Gould, however, acting upon information communicated to him by Mr. Blyth, has 
represented in his figure the outer tail-feathers turning out, like those of the Black-cock. On referring to the 
accompanying illustration, which has been prepared by Mr. Wolf from specimens of both sexes living in the 
Zoological Society’s Gardens, it will be seen that this is erroneous, and that the natural posture of this bird is 
very much the same as that of the other members of the genus Euplocamus. It may also be noted that the 
figure given by Mr. Gould as that of the female of the Siamese Pheasant, taken from a drawing formerly 
in the possession of Mr. Crawford, is decidedly not applicable to the female of this species. It may, I think, 
possibly be referable to the female of the Lineated Pheasant, of which there is a larger and more strongly- 
marked race found in Siam. 
Sir Robert Schomburgk informs us that this Pheasant is not found wild in the neighbourhood of Bangkok, 
but is a native of the states of Lao or Shang country, in the north-eastern part of Siam. Its native name is 
“ Kal-pha. The species seems to adapt itself well to captivity, and having already bred in Europe is likely to 
become a most ornamental addition to our Pheasantries. 
