P ® L Y P ' L ^ T î p ) - N E M ^ H T p C J m
POLYPLECTRON KM PII A NUM.
- N A P O LE Q I ’S POLYPLECTRON.
POLYPLECTRON EMPHANUM, Temm. Plan. Color. 540.—Sclat. Proc. Zool. ‘Soc. (1863) p. 124, sp. 4.—Gray, Hand-1. Birds, pt. ii. (1870)
p. 257, no. 957,0-.
P. NAPOLEGNIS, Less. Trait. Orn. (1831) p. 487 (desc. nulla).—Gray, Gen. Birds, vol. ^ S p . 495.—Reichenb. Syst. Ay. p. xxix.—Gray, List
| Gall. (1867) p. 25.
EMPHANIA NAPOLEONIS, Bon. Comp. Rend. (1856) p. 898.
H ab. Borneo ?
A lthough possessing; strong claims to be regarded as the handsomest member of the genus Polyplectron, nothing as yet has been
ascertained o f the economy and habits ¿¡P|the present species. Even its habitat -is unknown; for although the few examples which
are to be seen in the collections of a few of the different National Museums are stated to have come from the Moluccas, yet up
to the present time it has.'-hot1 been- discovered in which particular islander-islands it-is to be found. I ' have given Borneo as
probably its habitat, out hm hnable - to state with any certainty t h a |^ a i s found there. Napoleon’s Polyplectron was first described
by Temminck, in the ‘ Planches Coloriées,’ in 1831; and but few examples are“ known at-th e present day. No private collection
that I am aware of possesses a specimen, and . it has never yet been brought alive to Europe. It would : be a very great addition
to any Zoological' Garden, and is one of the few. beautiful members of the Gallinaceous birds which have not yet been introduced
to the aviaries of Europe.
Bonaparte employed a modified form of Temminck’s appellation Emphanum as a generic term for this bird; but I do not see that there
was sufficient reason-for removing it from the genus Polyplectron, in which I have accordingly retained it. The female has never been
procured. The mâle may be described as follows :—^
Head covered with a long green Crest. . A white line from the bill runs over the eye, increasing in width as it proceeds, and
terminates at the lower part of the neck behind. A broad ovate white spot under the eye, commencing a t the gape. Throat and
underparts *l)lack. Back and wings metallic hlfl%: with rich purple reflections. Primaries brownish black. Rump reddish brown,
mottled with black, each feather barred with black a t the tip. Upper tail-coverts and tâp flik e the back, with the addition of a
large rich oval deep-blue spot with purple and green reflections, surrounded with black, situated- about one-third the length of the
feather from the tip. Bare skin around the eye red. Bill black:' Feet and tarsi grey.
The figure is life-size. Reduced figure in the distance, carrying the spread tail on one side, as is customary with all the members
of this genus.