J. Delacour—The Rheinart 1 s Pheasant or Crested Argus 177


name of its discoverer, to whom it was dedicated, was thus spelt.

Several months later, a second specimen was sent by the Governor

of Indo-China, Le Myre de Villers. The bird had been presented alive

to him by the Emperor of Annam. The royal gift had been sent to

the Residency in charge of an escort of soldiers and created great

excitement. In spite of special care, it had soon died. It had been

snared in the neighbouring jungle, on the eastern slopes of the Chaine

Annamitique, which is covered with very damp, often cool, and thick

forests. Twenty years later, Father Renauld, a local missionary and a

keen naturalist, sent more skins to Paris, and gave some useful

information on the bird’s distribution and habits.


The Malayan Rheinart ( R . o. nigrescens) was discovered in 1902.

It is very similar to the Annamese bird, but of a darker brown, with

the spots on the back round and white, instead of irregular and bufE.

In the recently published vol. iii of the Birds of the Malay Peninsula ,

Mr. F. N. Chasen gives the following information :—


“ As yet known with certainity only from the lower levels of

Gunong Benom and Gunong Tahan in Pahang ... No more than

ten specimens are extant in museums.


“ In Pahang, in certain localities, this wonderful pheasant is by

no means rare, though even shyer and more retiring in its habits than

the more familiar Argus Pheasant. It is found in hilly country up to

the level of about 3,000 feet, possibly rather higher, but also occasionally

descending to the level of the larger rivers, though only in dense jungle.

On the lower slopes of Gunong Tahan, it must have been about equally

numerous with the Common Argus, but certainly ranged higher on the

hill . . . Robinson was unable to distinguish the playing grounds of

the two species, and feathers of both were found upon them . . . They

were sometimes very extensive, up to 10 or 15 feet in diameter, and

were most meticulously cleared, every dead leaf, living and growing

seedling being removed.”


To come back to the Annamese Rheinart, it was one of the main

objects of my 1923-4 expedition to Indo-China to learn more about

it and to bring back skins and live specimens. Therefore, I spent several

months in the province of Quangtri, some 50 miles north of Hue,

where F. Renauld had collected Rheinarts and discovered Edwards’



