Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/399

 PHEASANT 385 Golden Pheasant (Thaumalea picta). ring ; secondaries about 3 ft. long, brownish, but when spread adorned with beautiful ocel- lated spots like those in the peacock's tail ; the Argus Pheasant (Argus giganteus). female is dull chestnut red, varied with yellow- ish brown and black, without the development of the tail feathers and secondaries. It is found in the dense forests of Sumatra and the other large East Indian islands, where it lives in pairs. The long secondaries, which render flight difficult, are of great service to the bird when running, acting in the manner of sails ; these feathers, with those of other brilliant gallinaceous birds, are exported from Batavia as ornaments for dresses, screens, fans, and similar objects. This bird does not thrive in confinement. In the subfamily gallince should be mentioned here the genus gallophasis (Hodgs.) or euplocomus (Temm.), in which the wings are moderate and much rounded, with the fourth to the seventh quills nearly equal and longest, and the secondaries ample and broad; tail and its coverts ample, with com- pressed sides, arched or straight, and sometimes forked; tarsi long, strong, and armed with a large spur ; the sides of the head bare, with wat- tles at the base of the lower mandible, and some- times a crest. They inhabit the primeval forests of India and its islands, preferring the close covers of mountainous districts; they are usu- ally seen in parties of eight or ten, which run rapidly among the brushwood when alarmed. The silver pheasant (6?. nycihemerus, Hodgs.) has the throat, under parts, and ample crest glossy purplish black, the feathers being gen- erally lanceolate ; the rest of the plumage pure white, the webs of the feathers of the back diagonally streaked with black ; legs and feet purple lake, and large, naked, velvety space about the eyes bright vermilion. It is a pow- erful bird, and a match for a game cock ; it is a native of northern China, where it is often kept in a tame state ; being very hardy, it is Impeyan Pheasant (Lophophorus Impeyanus). frequently carried to Europe, and, with the golden pheasant, forms a pleasing addition to aviaries. About a dozen other species are de- scribed. The genus ceriornis (Swains.) includes the brilliant tragopans. (See TKAGOPAN.)