POLYPLECTRON BICALCARATUM.

Malayan Peacock-Pheasant.

Pavo bicalearatus, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 268.

Malaccensis, Scop. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., oo:

Polyplectron bicalcaratum, G. R. Gray, List of Spec. of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part v., Galline, p. 23.—Blyth
Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Calcutta, p. 242.—Sclat. in Proc. Zool. Soc., 1863, p. 124, a

Le petit Paon de Malacca, Sonner. Voy. aux Ind. Orient. et a la Chine, tom. ii. p. 173, pl. 99.

 

 

Four or five distinct species of the beautiful tribe of birds known to ornithologists by the generic title of
Polyplectron, or Peacock-Pheasants, doubtless exist; that there are more than these is, in My opinion, very
questionable ; and it is quite certain that a far larger number of specimens than are to be found in any
museum must be brought side by side, and very carefully compared, before the actual number of the species
can be determined with accuracy. The synonymy of two of them, which in this work I shall respectively
eall P. bicalcaratum and P. chinquis, is involved in such complete confusion as to defy the most astute orni-
thologist to ascertain correctly to which of them many of the names of the older authors really pertain. I
have therefore only placed such synonyms to the present bird as I believe have reference to it, retaining,
like Mr. Blyth, the term d2calcaratum for the Malayan bird, skins of which are so commonly found in col-
lections sent from Singapore and the Malay peninsula, and which is represented on the accompanying
Plate. ‘Sufficient for the time is the evil thereof;” I shall therefore defer speaking of P. chinguis and its
synonymy until I figure that equally beautiful species.

The present bird, P. décalcaratum, is somewhat smaller than P. chinguis, and, moreover, differs from that
species in the browner tint of the ground-colour of its plumage and in the larger size of the spots on its tail-
feathers. It is, as before mentioned, an inhabitant of the Malayan peninsula, but not of China, on the one
hand, nor of Java, on the other; as regards the avifauna of the Peninsula of India, neither it nor the
P. chinquis is comprised therein. The females of all the members of this well-defined genus differ very con-
siderably from the males—their plumage being sombre indeed when compared with that of their mates, as
may be seen on reference to the opposite Plate.

The specific term dicalcaratum, although not inappropriate, is not the best that could have been applied,
since in some cases (in the specimen from which my figure was taken, for instance) two spurs are found on
one leg and three on the other ; it is evident, therefore, that this is a variable character. .

The male has the crest greenish blue, the remainder of the head and the back of the neck banded with
alternate irregular bands of black and grey; all the upper surface and wings brown, feckice and spotted
with dark brown; each of the feathers of the mantle, scapularies, and wing-coverts with a nearly circular,
glossy, and apparently raised or convex spot, which in some lights appears green, in others fine purple with
rendered the more distinct by the ground-colour of the feather surrounding
upper tail-coverts browner, and more minutely freckled
those just described ; on

an edging of black, and which is
the spot being of a lighter tint and forming a ring 5 ore
with blackish brown, a few on each side with a double oval spot near the tip, like ;
the last row of coverts these spots become greatly increased in size, are bounded posteriorly with buff, aud
anterior to them the tip of the feather becomes washed with rufous ; on oe pam” oe ee
arrangement of spots and tints is seen, but greatly increased in size 5 primaries ae a o ;
lighter shafts; under surface brown, each feather having the se its margin, " c | rec a a
paler brown ; centre line of the throat freckled and spotted with kal: on @ a y eer 5 e ae
coverts very dark brown, and the spaces so luminous above are plain brown without Irecktes; th
appear to have been reddish ; irides yellow ; bill and feet horny eae

The general plumage of the female is brown, freckled and margined with
indication of spots on the tail.

The Plate represents a male and a female, a

a lighter tint, and with a faint

bout the natural size.