the arrangement of the subfamilies in this work, I have commenced with that o f the Pavonin®—not because it has any peculiar
claims to be placed a t the head of the Phasianid®, but on account o f the relationship of one of its genera to Lophophorus .of the
Lophophorin®, which is the second subfamily, and to Numida of the Numidin®, which closes.the series; so that if th e - subfamilies -
were arranged in a circle, Paco would be brought as near as is possible to the two genera with which it is connected. Pavonin®
is composed o f four genera, according fp : myviews; containing fourteen species, of which some are characterized % the ocelli
conspicuous on various parts o f their plumage, and others by the peculiarly lengthened, split, and rather silky texture of the webs
of the central tail-feathers. This last character is observed in the species o f Crossoptilon, and to a greater degree even in Paw,
on the lengthened upper tail-coverts | | j train. The genera, however, are well marked, and possess reliable distinctions for their
establishment. The form described by Dr. Sclater as Paco tiigripemis can hardly be considered otherwise than ; an accidental
variety, ;* the facts given by Darwin and others, quoted in my article in the body of the work oil this bird, clearly show that bit is
a lusus mturce, liable to occur a t any time among the brood of Paw cristatus ; and the peculiar white cplpur o f the hen is of
itself an indication that the form is not a true species. In the one sex it is an albinism, in the other a melanism, in those-parts
exhibiting a difference from the plumage observed in a similar position in the common well-known species. The second subfamily
is Lophophorin®, comprising the genera Lopflophorus, Tetraophasis, Ceriornis, and Pucrasia. The first o f these consists o f the three
species of Monal now known, remarkable for their brilliant metallic plumage, and closely related in the form of the bill, feet, and
other characters (some of which have been already given) to both Paco and Crossoptilon. Like the members of the last genus,
thè Monals are great diggers, and pass a large portion o f their time in upturning the soil with their long and powerful upper
mandible, which projects over and beyond the lower. So devoted are the members o f these two genera to this habit, that it is
comparatively easy to ascertain where they are confined in the aviary by the condition o f the ground in their enclosure, which is
soon dug up and tossed about in every direction. The foèt; are rarely, if ever, used in the operation, their short legs and heavy
body rendering it apparently inconvenient for them to scratch, as do so many members of this family.
I hesitated somewhat about the propriety o f including in this work the single species known as. Tetraophasis obscurus, ' as it clearly
was not a Lophophorus as its describer had supposed, although seeming to bè d ò se to that genus. The similarity in plumage of
the sexes was a mark of great difference between the species and others belonging to the Lophophorin® and Phasianin®, all the
females of which are differently attired from the males. -The species has its affinities, so far as c a n 'b e ascertained without having
access to a skeleton, both to Lophophorus and Tetraogallus, and could be placed near eith e r;^ u £ ,in a sm u c h as: i t was considered
nearest to the former of these genera, I deemed it best to place it among the Phasianid®. O f the three species of Monals,
that one bearing the name of Dr. Sclater differs conspicuously from the others'fin its crest, the feathers of which are stiff and
slightly curved forwards. On account Of this, I have made it the type of a subgenus, with the term Chalcophasis. The next genus
is Ceriornis, the members of which possess a fleshy horn on' either side o f the head, that in .moments of excitement become comparatively
rigid, are then elevated, and constitute a very peculiar character of the genus. Mr. Swinhoe expresses himself to me as
in some doubt about the bird obtained by him in China, and which he referred to C. Caboti, whether or not it really was that
species. His recollection is that the specimen, which;-was that of a young bird, was entirely covered witli ochraceous ocelli on the
underparts as well as -on the back. I f this was so, it would be materially different from true Caboti, which has the underparts
deep buff in the adult, the only stage known a t present. The young may be spotted all over; this, however, is unlikely, as
they woàld resemble the hen, which in all, probability would be similar to those of th e’ath e r species o f Cm'om'i ; and to distinguish
them apart from each o th er'is not altogether an -easy matter. It is not out o f the way . to believe that there is; stilLàn Undescribed
species o f Tragopan to be found in the locality from which Mr. Swinhoe’s specimen came; but as it was unfortunately lost on its
way to England, we shall be obliged to -wait for other examples to determine the fact, since the description sent to ‘The I b i s i s
hardly minute enough to distinguish what perhaps might be a closely allied species. The genus Pucrasia lies apparently between
the Tragppans and true Pheasants. It is composed o f only three rather plainly attired species, as .1 have been able to determine,
the P . nepalensis of Gould being evidently a hybrid between P . Duvauceli and P . macrolopha. The habitat of the former , of these
is not yet satisfactorily ascertained. The species of this genus are distinguished by the males possessing extremely lengthened ear-
tufts, which extend on each side and beyond the crest. These can be raised or depressed at pleasure, and give a very unusual and
eccentric appearance to the bird.
The only New-World genus belonging to the Phasianid®, that of Meleagris (composing the subfamily M eleagrin® ) I place after
the Pucras Pheasants. It has but three species; but they differ materially from those of the other subfamilies: its members, with
the exception perhaps of the species of Paco, are the largest in size of the Phasianid®,. have bare héads and necks like the Numida,
but’, unlike the species of that division, the males have the tarsi armed with sharp and powerful spurs. From the breast hangs
a long, coarse, hair-like tu ft; this is sometimes also found in the female, though of a much reduced size. Some authors consider
that the nearest affinities o f the species o f Meleagris is with the Cracid®. I do not take this view of the case; for, besides some
structural-differences such as the well-developed spur in the males, the Turkeys have, like the Pheasants, entirely different habits
from the Curassows and others which belong to the great family of the Cracid®. These latter are strictly arboreal, and live
mainly upon the branches of trees, where they also build their nests and descend only occasionally to the ground. The Turkeys,
on the contrary, roost in trees, but descend a t the first appearance of day, and do not return to the branches until nightfall. They
also build their nests upon the ground, and assimilate much more closely to the Phasianid® in their general habits. The Cracid®
lay but few e g g s ; the Meleagrid® lay a large number. Meleagris would seem, therefore, to belong properly to the Phasianid®,
o f which it is an outlying form, somewhat difficult to be accounted for, since North America is undoubtedly the locality where the
Tetraonin® had their origin, and where they received their greatest development; and it is not a little strange to find among the
members of this subfamily a group belonging to a family wliich is peculiarly of an Old-World origin, and of which, in the
Western Hemisphere, it is the only representative. .
I place next the subfamily of P hasianin® , composed, according to the present arrangement, of two genera and fifteen species.
Phasianus contains but three subgeneric divisions, the members characterized chiefly by the extremely lengthened tail-feathers, which
in’ some species extend to a ' distance'Cdf several feet beyond the tail-coverts. The true Pheasants have no crests, moderately long
tufts of feathers behind the eyes and above the ears, rather long tails, and a brilliant 'metallic plumage. Phasianus Shawi,
comprising in the Ifpfjurs of its dress characters belonging to P . mongolicus and P. colchicus (the ring-necked and ringless forms
of true Pheasants), appears to offer more claims to be considered the source (or, a t all events, the most direct representative
the source) from which w j. the birds of this particular form have descended; and I have therefore placed it a t the head
of this division. P . torquatus presents itself to us in a great variety of .forms in the immense extent of country over which
it ranges, the extremes of which are found in the P . decollatus of Western China and in the P . formosanus of the Island of
Formosa. These varieties are produced in a great measure by physical - causes extending over a considerable period of time;
and if, as we may expect will be the case« those causes are continued, the varieties will in some future age become distinct
species. The P . torquatus which were imported into the Island,of St. Helena a t a not very distant date, have already commenced
to depart from their type, and will doubtless in ■ their descendants produce a form unknown upon the Asiatic continent, just
as the same species has already done in the Island of Formosa. The handsome bird to which -I have given the appellation
of elegans is somewhat of a puzzle to me, as it presents characters which we should naturally expect to find in the offspring
produced by the union of two such distinct species as P . versicolor and P . colchicus. It is a native of Yunnan, in Southern China;
and-its habitat renders any supposition o f its being a hybrid out o f the question, as neither of the species it resembles is found
within very many miles of its home. As I have seen fo.ur specimens, two of which were living in the Zoological Society’s Gardens
in London, all precisely alike, I cannot deem it other than a perfectly valid species. Varieties of P . Rcevesi and P . Scemmerringi
have been procured, one of which has been named scintillans, aud a figure of it given in this work. Neither of these styles,
however, can a t the present time be considered a species in the usual acceptation o f that term, although- in one, at least,
evidences are shown of a strong inclination to depart from its type and .establish a distinct form. The genus Thawmalea is peculiar
in that the males have a large ruff extending from the occiput and covering the. back of the neck. This is capable of expansion;
and during courtship the bird is accustomed, when paying his addresses to the object of his affection, to draw it over his face on
the side that is turned towards the female. The rare 'T . Amlierstia is provided with a very large appendage of this kind, which is
displayed in a similar manner. Of all the members o f the Phasianid®, those of this genus are probably the most gorgeously attired.
The next subfamily is E uplocamin® , with two genera and fourteen species. Like Phasianus, the genus Euplocamus .contains
various subgeneric forms, most of which have appeared to different ornithologists to be worthy of separate generic rank. This view
does not seem to me either necessary o r desirable to adopt, as the subgeneric peculiarities merely indicate the variations which the
species have undergone in certain particulars under various influences; for instance, the typical style o f Euplocamus has a somewhat
long full crest, which can be elevated or depressed a t pleasure, as in E . albo-cristalus. In E . ignitus the crest is full but always
erect, rather bunchy, -and with the extreme basal portion o f the shafts bare of webs. E . pralatus has a semierect crest, but the
shafts are nearly half bare of webs. These are apparently the extreme divergences in the genus; but in the greater number of their
characters the species closely resemble each, other. All possess fowl-like tails, the lateral feathers of those of the majority covered
by the long central ones. But there are exceptions to this, E . erythrophthalmus and E . pyronotus, which have hen-like tails in
both sexes without any lengthened median feathers, and male and female are alike armed with long sharp spurs. Seyeral species
of Euplocamus approximate closely, and are apparently geographical representatives o f each other. It is in this genus that hybridism
is carried to an extent unequalled by any other portion o f this family, and not surpassed by any group in the whole range of
ornithology. Among its members are found some of the finest of the Phasianid®; and their conspicuously shaped tails bring them
nearest to the species of the genus Gallus; half of them are remarkable for their brilliantly coloured rumps—which cause them to
be known by the trivial name of Firebac/cs, and separate the genus into two natural divisions o f Silver and Firebaclc Pheasants.
Between Euplocamus and Gallus I have placed the genus Ithaginis, which leads off towards the Galloperdix group of the Perdicid®.
Many authors include the Blood-plieasants with the Partridges; but, for the reasons given in my article on Ithaginis cruenlus, I
believe their proper position to be with the Phasianid®. Their tails, though less developed, are similar to those of Euplocamus;
and the sexes, unlike those of the Partridges, are very dissimilar in plumage, in this respect resembling the Pheasants.
The subfamily G allin® has but one genus, and four species,' one o f which is subgeneric. It contains the Jungle-fowl, distinguished
by many peculiarities, such as the upright fleshy comb sometimes serrated on the edges, long pendent wattles, immensely developed
spurs, long, loose, and flowing tail-feathers; and generally shrill voice— the subgeneric form varying in the exhibition of a single
median wattle below the throat.
The two strange genera Phasidus and Agelastes, which I have placed in the subfamily A gelastin® , are aberrant forms of the