362 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
number of them have been shot, the rest remain quietly perched upon the 
trees, apparently unconscious of the havoc that has been committed among 
them. This conduct is by no means the result of stupidity, but proceeds 
rather from the natural tameness and unsuspiciousness of their character. 
Those, however, which frequent the neighborhood of inhabited places are said 
to be much wilder and more mistrustful, being kept constantly on the alert 
to avoid the pursuit of the hunters, who destroy them in great numbers. 
They build their nests on the trees, forming them externally of branches, 
interlaced with the stalks of herbaceous plants, and lining them internally 
with leaves. They generally lay but once a year, during the rainy season; 
the number of their eggs being, according to Sonnini, five or six, and to 
D’Azara, as many as eight. They are nearly as large as those of a turkey, 
but are white and have a thicker shell. Some efforts have been made 
towards domesticating the curassow , chiefly in Holland, and which have had 
some success. 
ThePhea- 
rants ( Phasi - 
anidce) form 
one of the most 
interesting 
groups of the 
feathered race, 
whether w’e 
regard them 
for the brill¬ 
iancy of their 
plumage or 
the excellence 
of their flesh. 
The gold¬ 
en pheasant , 
of China (P. 
pictus ), and 
pheasant of the himaeayas. another species 
of that coun¬ 
try, known as P. venesatus , are reckoned by many to be the most gor¬ 
geously attired birds of the world. Asia is believed to be the nativity of all 
species of the pheasant family, their importation into Europe having been made, 
it is said, by the Argonauts, who sailed with Jason in quest of the golden fleece. 
The most splendid species are still to be found in the Himalaya region, of 
which the horned tragopan is specially conspicuous. It is quite a large bird, 
distinguished for its rich plumage, and for two large wattles that hang from 
under the eyes and which the bird can inflate at will. 
The Argus Pheasant (Argus giganteus\ found principally in Sumatra, is 
a truly royal bird, the name of which commemorates in a degree the Argus 
of mythology, who, it is said, never closed his hundred eyes simultaneously 
until put to sleep by the playing of Mercury on the magic pipe of Pan. As 
the eyes of Argus were said to be distributed all over his body, so are eye-like 
spots on every part of the argus pheasant , though those on the long tail feath- 
