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LOPHOPHORUS L’HUYSI, 4 Geoff. St-Hil

De PHuys’s Monal.

Lophophorus ? Huysi, J. Verr. et A. Geoff. St.-Hil. Bull. Soc. Accl., ser. 2, 1866 tom. ili. p. 223, pl.—Sclat. Proc

of Zool. Soc., 1868, p. 1 pl. 1.—G. R. Gra i
- ay] leo re male y, Handl. of Birds, part ii. p. 261.— hi mle
pl. xix.—David, Nouv. Archiv. du Mus., tom. vii. Bull. p. od Ee

ST SURaEcome

Waen the exclusiveness of the Chinese authorities ceased to exist, and their great country with its man

varied aspects was opened to the world, naturalists presumed that there would ik found numerous whew
in each department of science of the greatest interest; but certainly ornithologists were not pre eal
for the discovery of the splendid bird forming the subject of the present menoa We all toate ee
believed that the beautiful Himalayan Lophophorus Impeyanus could not be excelled in the rich tee of its
metallic colouring by a species from any other country, and moreover were incline | |
species was the sole member of its genus. Here, however, we were deceived; for
cessful rival to its Himalayan brother. In size it is about a third larger, y

d to suppose that that
the present bird is a suc-
vhile its flowing crest is still more
beautifully coloured. It is to the distantly located French Consuls and their still more enterprising mission-
aries that we are indebted for our knowledge of the existence of the Lophophorus 0 Huysi, its eodfathers being
MM. Jules Verreaux and Albert Geoffroy St.-Hilaire—just as the venerable Latham was of the L. Impeyanus,
which he named in honour of the wife of one of our Indian judges.

As might be expected, skins of this bird realized a large sum for their collectors. The British Museum
became the possessor of the first pair, which unfortunately are not in good condition ; subsequently, on the
return of Pere David, Mr. Elliot obtained a second pair. We then, for the first time, saw the bird in all its
glory; and I must here express my thanks to Mr. Elliot for his liberality in intrusting these skins to my care
for the purpose of figuring them in the present work. The figures, which are about two thirds the size of
life, will give but a faint idea of the colouring of the originals ; still I trust the Plate will be regarded with
interest.

All that is known with respect to the habits and the localities frequented by the Lophophorus l Huysi is
embodied in Mr. Elliot’s account of it in his ‘Monograph of the Phasianide,’ which I take the liberty of
transcribing.

“This magnificent bird, the second known species of the genus which had hitherto contained the most
brilliant member of the Phasianide (as in the beauty of its rich metallic plumage it defied comparison with
any other of the family), was first made known to ornithologists by MM. J. P. Verreaux and Albert Geoffroy
St.-Hilaire, who described it in the publication above referred to. It was procured by M. Dabry, French
Consul at Han-Keow, who stated that it came from the ‘diocese of Moupin, at the foot of the mountains of
Chinese Thibet, and watered by the upper Yank-tse-Kiang.’ This discovery is most interesting to science
on account of the genus having thus far comprised but a single species, described for the first time in 1790
by the naturalist Latham in his ‘Index Ornithologicus’ under the name of Phastanus impeyanus, which
inhabits the mountains of the Himalaya, in a climate analagous to that where the present bird is found, as it
frequents elevated and inaccessible regions, sometimes covered with snow. . . . Let us hope that M. Dabry
will not delay to send to the Jardin d’Acclimatation some living examples of the oo creature which
he has discovered, and that very soon we shall see it in company with the Lophophorus impeyanus, of which,
on account of its beauty, it may justly be styled a rival. _

“As yet the hope expressed in the above has not been fulfilled ; for no Ing examples have reached
any part of Europe, and the single pair which were the type of the species remained pce in the ee
Museum, where they were deposited, until another pair in even finer plumage were received at tte museum
in the Jardin des Plantes from the Missionary Pére David, who procured them also in Chinese Thibet.

“In size the present species is even larger than its relative the LZ. Up ee isis ee
beautiful sight to the sportsman when, suddenly flushed, it rises on the wing displaying the rich metallic hues

of its burnished plumage flashing in the rays of the sun. Its crest is much fuller than that of the Monal, and

the long feathers have their tips of a rich purple colour, continually changing to a more brilliant or deeper

shade as it is moved from or towards the light. aoe
“ Male.—Head and lengthened crest green, with rich purple reflections ; back of the neck and the upper

part of the back metallic red; wings green, with blue and purple reflections ; primaries Pea ae
part of the tail-coverts white, the centre of the feathers green ; tail and Jong ee ee ae k
white on the outer webs; entire underparts black, with rich green reflections 00 ae aan
bill horn-colour ; tarsi and feet lead-colour.
«© Female-—Brown, mottled with black ; rump white.
‘‘Hasrratr.—Moupin in Chinese Thibet (Dabry) 5 Llassa iN a
The figures represent the two sexes, about two thirds the size of Ite.

”

Thibet (J. J. Stone).

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