LOPHOPHOPvUS L H U Y j*
LOPHOPHORUS L’HUYSII.
DE L’HUYS ’S MONAL.
LOPHOPHORUS L’HUYSII, J. Verr. & Alb. Geoff. Bull. Soc. d’Acclim. (1 8 6 6 ) P- 223, pi. Sclat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1868) p. 1, pl. 1.
H a b . Mou-pin, Chinese Thibet (D a b b y ) ; Llassa, Thibet ( J . J . S t o n e ) .
T his magnificent bird, the second known species of the genus which had heretofore contained the most brilliant member of the
Phasianidse (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 Mou-pin,
at the foot of the mountains o f Chinese Thibet, and watered by the upper Yank-tse-Kiang.” “ This discovery is most interesting
to science, On® account o f 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 of P/mianus impeyanus, which inhabits the mountains of the
Himalaya, in a climate analogous 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’A eel ¡mutation some living
examples of 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 o f 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 of Europe; and
the single pair which were the type of the species remained unique in the British Museum, where they were deposited, until about
a month ago, when another pair, in even finer plumage, were received at the Museum in the Jardin des Plantes, from the missionary
Pere 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 of its burnished plumage flashing in the
rays o f 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 with lengthened crest, green, with rich purple reflections; back of neck and upper part of back metallic red. Wings
green, with blue and purple reflections; primaries brown. Rump and portion of tail-coverts white, the centre of the feathers green.
Tail- and long coverts green, with spots of white on outer webs. Entire underparts black with rich green reflections on the margins
o f the feathers. Bill horn-colour. Tarsi and feet lead-colour.
Female.—Brown mottled with black; rump white.
Figures life-size.