Page:Acclimatisation; its eminent adaptation to Australia.djvu/35

33 beautiful bird, the fire-backed pheasant, would be a desirable acquisition. It is so named from having upon the back, just above the tail, a mass of feathers of a brilliant luminous and metallic colour. In some light it is said to be so bright as to resemble a flame of fire. Two white feathers branch from the tail with a graceful curve. The hen bird is of plain reddish plumage. There are two species—the E. ignitus and the euploermus Veilotti, and both species are fine and ornamental birds. The Earl of Derby succeeded in rearing a brood of the latter species, but the race was not perpetuated owing to the want of a congenial climate. Both the species would be worth naturalising in this colony.

There is also the banded land grouse, the Thibetian and whistling land grouse, natives of Northern India, the flesh of which is delicate and well-flavoured. The lerwa partidge or Himalayan grouse (lerwa navicolla), as it is also called, would be a valuable acquisition; the flesh is white, succulent, and possessed of a high flavour. The painted and the Ceylon partridge, or spur fowl (galloperdix), its flesh is considered in Ceylon superior in flavour to any other game in the island; it ate and looked like grouse. The pucras pheasants, of various species from the Himalaya; the sanguine Francolin also from India; and valuable and interesting as are the gallinaceous birds of India, both as objects of beauty and supplying the human race with food. The tetraogallus or snow partridges, from the Himalaya, are birds which will be found even still, more valuable for acclimatisation, and could be readily domesticated in the colder regions of the colonies. To all these, for introduction into the colony, the society will direct their attention. The Mooruk, of which I sent three living specimens to England, and which are now alive in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park. Through the liberality of Mr. Cuthbert, of Miller’s Point, we have now two living specimens at present in the Botanical Gardens of Sydney; they are young birds, male and female,and will be a great acquisition to our other valuable specimens.

The large drawings of the eland, Punjaub sheep, koodoo, and others, were drawn by Master William E. Bennett, with the exception of the Australian bustard, for which I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Krefft. The beautiful coloured engravings are principally from the magnificent works of Mr. Gould on the birds of Asia, Australia, and the humming birds.

As fish is so necessary an article of food for all classes, being digestible and nourishing, an Acclimatisation Society should