PPLYP N 1
POLYPLEGTROIf GERMAINI, m„>t.
g e r m a i M p o l yp le cte on:
POLYPLECTRON G ERM AINl|Elliot, Ibis, ( 1866) p.56.
H a b . Cochin-China (G e rm a in ) .
i . i f jw m my-descriptiQD o f t h ig ^ g s p e c i e s j |t e ! ; e n from in, « P a r i s Museum, r a s pngiisfied in 'T h e
Ib is' for 186 6 , numerous examples h a j l been r e ce ived 'm several-of the Zoological Gardens q i i j S c b n t in e n t , where they are now
M i r i i i g i and apparently beafi,thgir confmefieiit:; rèm à r filily well. It is aw e ry lively, graceful bird, exceedingly quick in its moramente
» ¡ ° ^ P P sW °n , M . naeminglfa l a ^ ^ B y o i d i n g l f e ^ M e , # i n t e r o » who may a ftroacb the »ire s o f its enclosure as it
constantly seeks the shplfpr o f means o f concealment which may b e afforded it— where, Mwéyer, its restless
-nature d o e g |g |p e rm j t it to remain to daft u g B n c w agam,<S & the obvious mtpntion o f seeking' s jm e other
l€ 'fei'CKPe i toni thus every pOTtmmof ltsxcage is .examined fo r -somev'm calls o f exit- : I t ' i | | | native o f c jiH in China and was
( procured by M. Germain, ^ | | * i r i e | t o h u v e had .he-p leasure o f bestowing upon it,, Md to whose exertions in that ( g l in t land
■ H H jM u a u n o f P ^ | S 0 l S @ 8 i S lmi1” of- ‘he m o stg jg jfflM additions'1 to its gallery. M. Germain has kindly fcrnisijed
^ p p j w i t h the fo^w jn g . note- U p p h l- th ^ ^ ^ ^ io f .this |bp£n|jfal: fajff^wtiich~ds^ ^ ^ 5 ^ j | n terestihgi oh account S l t h e slight knowledge
we have o f the species, as well as c o d in g from the pen o f an eye-witness : S H B
'^ * ■ £ “ 11 IS found principally iniytlg'mountains, of**wooded, regions;, and is most abundant, in the j^diutams n e a r l f è Porte o f Ka-ou-
Ty-Va|, ^ n ^ é ^ p | ^ ^ ó f i ^ | g d i o a . - ; I ^ ^ ^ | found near S a ig o u c h t a v ^ iv fh c Amafnites bring-some at times, which; they1 have
taken m*snareB»where th^e P i r « f a r w ^ ^ m e _ F 1re’lb a c k )lis found I have had tw;o sfbmmens I S j l l o n g time in the Zoological
Gardens at Saigon. they have always I “ " * » ratllcr wild, although I have never seen them fly against the wires o f the
cage. I f they are disturbed by the presence o f any one, they run up and down the cage, spread the tail, and raise the feathers
o f a # ? : ;'liklf K S ^ ^ e5e|li ^ i t e note am ^ b c c o s . The Museuitf t jS r is ), possesses one living
specimen^ which has su r v iy ed jh e fa s t winter W i t ìW S e S g 1 as bold as*the spe cies'has appeared to me, when I
observed it, to be o f a le ss wild disposition.”
Regardipgsthb Ipst remark, my own f c p y a t i ^ g f - t h e bird w gijd l e a d f f l E thè opposite conclusion . H & P. p r x k tw seems
g p ft* very S™11“. confiding disposition ; and I have nevnr met with any individual o f the P. G e rm a tmW t did not avoid, i f possible,
different behaviour from that o f the other, which frcqnently comes up to the front o f its cage as though
seeking food from the observer, uttering at the same time its low soft note.
This species is readily- distinguished from all the members o f this genus, and may be described as follows:— General colour
blackish brown, .irregularly spotted with light brown. Head and hack part o f the neck black, each feather barred with white.
Back, wings, and tail covered with metallic spots, in some lights o f a dark lustrous green, in others o f a rich purple. Primaries
dark brown. Upper mandiblp black, lower horn-colour. F e et black.
Figure life-size.