ARGUS OCELLATUS.
O C E L L A T E JD A li G U S 1> II K A S A N T.
ARGUS OCELLATUS, Bon. Compt. Rend. t. xlii. p, 878 (desc. nul.).—Sclat. Proe. Zool. Soc. (18 6 3 ) p. 124 (desc. nul.).—Gray, List Gall.
(1867) p. 26 (desc. nul.).—Elliot, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.,(1 8 7 1 ) vol. yiii.-p. 119 (desc.).
Hab. “ v?
T his form of Argus has been represented for some years in the galleries of the Paris Museum by a few feathers of the wing and
tail, differing altogether in, their colour and markings from those of any Other species of this genus known. Although a manuscript
name was attached to them, no description was ever given until lately, when I published a full account of the interesting fragments
in the ‘ Annals and Magazine of Natural History.’ They evidently belonged to a much larger species than those of which we have
any knowledge ; and thé bird must present a beautiful appearance arrayed in such striking plumage, and could it be procured would
be a most valuable addition to the already^magnificent family-of the Phasianidæ. The feathers may be described as follows:—
The largest primary is dark brown upon the outer portion of the outer web, and for about two thirds of its length from the tip
is barred with blackish brown, and also mottled with the same, chiefly in the centre of the web. The base of the feather and also
both sides of the shaft are light rufous buff, unspotted, th§*buter margin of the inner web being brown, faintly dotted with dark
brown. The buff colour of the b a se iJextends the whole length of the feather, becoming darker at the tip. The smallest feather
differs from the one just described by only having the base and alopg the shaft of the inner web for half its length bright
lyiff, the remainder , being dark brown barred and mottled with blackish brown on the outer web, and only faintly dotted with dark
brown on Va small portion of the inner web from about halfway from t l i^ base towards the tip. The shaft is yellowish white
for about half its length from the base, with a line of dark brown along the side next to the inner web, becoming generally
darker brown as it approaches the-tip. The general colour of the outer feather is dark ashy grey, becoming reddish on the outer
and brownish on the inner web, dotted throughout with small \yhite spots. Along both webs near the shaft, extending from the
base for two thirds of the length of the feather, are numerous rather large'reddish spots with black centres, generally of an oblong
form, but lengthened out into lines towards the margins; near the tip these reddish markings disappear entirely. The shaft is
reddish, blackish brown on the side of the outer web. The feather is very broad, graduating to a sharp point a t the tip ; its total
length is about four and a half feet. The representations of these feathers are half their natural size.