JËÊKè
LOPHOPHORUS L’HUYSI, a . G e o ff. st.-fia .
De l’Huys’s Monal.
Lophophorus l’Huysi, J . Verr. e t A. Geoff. St.-Hil. Bull. Soc. Acci., ser. 2, 1866, tom. iii. p. 223, pi.—Sclat. Proc.
o f Zool. Soc., 1868, p. 1. pi. 1.—G. R. Gray, Handl. of B irds, p a rt ii. p. 261.—Elliot, Mon. Phas., vol. i.
pi. xix.—David, Nouv. Archiv. du Mus., tqm. vii. Bull. p .I n a n i
When the exclusiveness of the Chinese authorities ceased to exist, and their great country with its many
varied aspects was opened to the world, naturalists presumed that there would be found numerous objects
in each department of science o f the greatest interest; but certainly ornithologists were not prepared
for the discovery o f the splendid bird forming the subject of the present memoir. We all thought and
believed that the beautiful Himalayan Lophophorus Impey anus could not be excelled in the richness of its
metallic colouring by a species from any other country, and moreover were inclined to suppose that that
species was the sole member of its genus. Here, however, we were deceived; for the present bird is a successful
rival to its Himalayan brother. In size it is about a third larger, while its flowing crest is still more
beautifully coloured. It is to the distantly located French Consuls and their still more enterprising missionaries
that we are indebted for our knowledge of the existence of the Lophophorus VHuysi, its godfathers 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 o f one o f 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 Père 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 M r. 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 I’Huysi is
embodied in Mr. Elliot’s account o f it in his ‘ Monograph of the Phasianidæ,’ 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 Phasianidæ (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 o f 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 o f Phasianus 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 o f the wonderful 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 living examples have reached
any part o f Europe, and the single pair which were the type o f the species remaiued unique in the British
Museum, where they were deposited, until another pair in even finer plumage were received at the museum
in the Jardin des Plantes from the Missionary Père David, who procured them also in Chinese Thibet.
“ In size the present species is even larger than its relative the L . impeyanus, and must present a most
beautiful sight to the sportsman when, suddenly flushed, it rises on the wing displaying the rich metallic hues
o f 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.
“ 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 brown; rump and
part of the tail-coverts white, the centre of thè feathers green ; tail and long coverts green, with spots of
white on the outer webs ; entire underparts black, with rich green reflections on the margins of the feathers ;
bill horn-colour ; tarsi and feet lead-colour.
“ Female.—Brown, mottled with black ; rump white.
“ Habitat.—Moupin in Chinese Thibet (Dabry) ; Llassa in Thibet ( J . J . Stone)."
The figures represent the two sexes, about two thirds the size of life.