DIARDIGALLUS PRALATUS, Bonap.

Siamese Fire-back.

Phastanus crawfurdu, Gray in Griff. edit. of Cuvier’s Anim. King., vol. viii. p. 27 ?
Diardigallus fasciolatus, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng.,vol. xxvii. p. 115.—Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxvii.
p. 40.
prelatus, Bonap. Compt. Rend., 1856, p. 415?
crawfurdi, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxvii. p. 353.
Acomus? crawfurdi, Bonap. Compt. Rend., 1856, p. 8792?

 

Ir is through the exertions of Sir Robert Schomburgk, Her Majesty’s Consul-General for Siam, that I am
enabled to give a figure of this fine bird in the ‘ Birds of Asia.’ The facts connected with the case may be
briefly told. On inspecting the large collection of drawings at the East India House, I noticed one of a bird
I had never seen, and which was said to have been made by Finlayson in Siam, forty years ago. I immedi-
ately solicited permission to take a tracing of the drawing, which tracing I forwarded to Sir Robert Schom-
burgk, with a letter directing his attention to the subject, and pointing out the desirability, if possible, of
procuring a specimen. With the usual energy which actuates this gentleman whenever science is to be
benefited, he gave immediate attention to the matter; and by the returning mail informed me that he had
seen a living specimen in a Siamese menagerie, and that it would be forwarded to me by the next mail, The
specimen arrived in due course; and from it the accompanying figure was taken. Almost simultaneously
Mr. Blyth wrote to England, describing the bird from examples which had lately arrived in Calcutta,
and mentioning that he had given it the name of Diardigallus fasciolatus, which specific appellation
must, however, give place to that of prelatus, previously proposed by the late Prince Charles Bonaparte
for specimens contained in the Leyden Museum. In Griffith’s edition of Cuvier’s ‘Animal Kingdom’
there is the description of a bird, taken from a drawing in the possession of Mr. Crawfurd, after whom the
bird was called Phasianus Crawfurdi by Dr. Gray. This drawing I once considered to be a representation
of the female of the bird here figured; and if such should prove to be the case, then the specific names of
prelatus of Bonaparte and fasciolatus of Blyth must both give place to Dr. Gray’s appellation Crawfurdi.
Mr. Sclater, however, thinks it doubtful if the bird described in Griffith’s edition of the ‘Animal Kingdom ’
be the female of this species, as the specimens in the Leyden Collection, said to be females of the bird here
figured, are different from the drawing: time and the acquisition of other specimens can alone determine
the question; and Sir Robert Schomburgk will doubtless set the matter at rest with the same promptitude
that characterized his acquisition and despatch of the male.

With regard to the particular part of Siam inhabited by this bird, Sir Robert has sent me the following
note :—

‘Learning some time since that there were some fine living animals and birds at a Wat, or Siamese tem-
ple, I went to look at them, and was particularly struck with a fine Pheasant, which, on inquiry, I was told
came ‘ from the upper country,-—the usual answer to every question respecting the habitats of living animals
or birds. About aweek later comes your letter enclosing a drawing of the very bird I had seen in the Wat.
Of course I sent forthwith the price demanded, and procured it. The poor thing was so gentle, I felt great
compunction to kill it; for the sake of science, however, it was stifled, but I told my servant to do it in the
most gentle manner. The bird having been kept in a domesticated state, I did not wonder when its owner told
me that, in lieu of cereals, it had been fed upon the fry of fishes, prawns, and shrimps. I am not able to
tell you much about its habits or its habitat. Some say it comes from the upper country, others that it fre-
quents the regions near the coast. There is no doubt that it is a great rarity at Bangkok, which it would
not be did it frequent the coast. Ihave not seen this Pheasant in the King’s Collection, which I certainly
should have done had it been there; for, as he usually receives me in the saloon near the Aviary, I could not
have failed to notice it. With the nice drawing you have sent me in my possession, I think I shall be able
to get some farther information as to the habits of the bird ; meanwhile I forward the specimen without