EUPLOCAMUS PRiELATUS.
suddenly showed on one occasion that he was ill, and, although allowed to walk about in the garden to search $§r himself the'
food he considered best, died nevertheless.”
Many examples of this species have been brought alive to Europe, and form one of the greatest attractions in the Pheasantries
of the various Zoological Gardens. They soon become quite tame, 'an fl walk about their little enclosures apparently unmindful
of those who may be standing close to the wire gratings admiring their beautiful plumage and graceful carriage. Indeed, Iq r!
their search for insects or other food, they will often come close up to the spectators, and return their gaze in all confidence,
uttering a t frequent intervals a low soft note, such as is probably referred to by Sir Robert Schomburgk in the article given
above.
The first specimen of the Siamese Fireback which ever reached Europe was sent to Temminck, a t the Leyden Museum, who
gave to it the name of Gallus Diardi. Th is,‘however, only being in manuscript, gives way to the one imposed upon it by Prince
Bonaparte—that of preelatus. The Prince also formed a new genus for it (Diardigallus) , which was unnecessary, although it may
properly stand as a subgeneric title ; for the present species is undoubtedly intermediate between the Jungle-fowls and the true
Pheasants, and must be included in the genus Euplocamus.
The Phasianus Crawfurdi of Gray’s edition o f Griffith’s ‘Animal Kingdom,’ figured by Mr. Gould as the female of E.preelatus, does
not belong to this species, but is apparently that o f E . lineatus from Siam.
The following short account was contributed to ‘ The F ie ld ’ by <r well-known ornithologist, under the nom deplume o f Omithognomon
“ * * * The above description is that o f the only specimen I have ever seen alive of this bird. It was brought to me from a Siamese
or Shan village, near the sources of the Houngthrau (long, about 99° E., lat. 15® 40' N . |||; but whether it had originally been caught
in that vicinity, or had been brought there from a more southerly latitude in Siam, I was unable to ascertain. It was perfectly
tame and familiar, rambling a t will about the grounds and into the farmyard, where it soon associated with the poultry and
attacked every cock it came near. With these it had some desperate engagements (for it must be understood that the poultry
of Burma is almost entirely of the game breed), but it always came ofF victor, even with antagonists o f nearly double .its weight.
At length its pugnacious propensities became such a nuisance that my neighbour’s servants seized it one day and cut down its
long, sharp spurs to mere stumps. The poor bird, however, though shorn o f its s tren g th , lost hone o f its spirit, and assailed
its gallinaceous enemies as recklessly as ever. These soon found out th a t. its weapons were gone, and, plucking up courage,
paid it off with interest for former injuries; in a- week or two my Diardigallus had scarce a feather le ft.o n it. I had kept
it nearly a year; and by July 1860, what with its numerous bufferings and its being in a state of moult, it had become a
ludicrous caricature o f its former self. At length,
“ One mom we missed him from Ms accustomed haunt,”
and he was found drowned in a well.
“ Before moulting, it was the most perfectly elegant bird I have ever seen. Every.motion was graceful; and it was incessantly
uttering a sweet, mellow cooing and clucking. I had a t the time a hen Fireback Pheasant {Gallophasis Vieilloti) in a cage;
but our bird would have nothing to do with her, and when put into the cage pecked her nearly to death.
“ This species is said to be common in Siam, on both banks of the Bangkok menam (riv e r)# and several specimens were
sent to England by the late Sir R. Schomburgk, British Consul a t that port. The female I have never seen.”
In regard to the constitution o f this beautiful species, Mr. Bartlett writes ‘ me that “ Euplocamus preelatus is one o f the birds of
this family which appear tender, and bears the cold less successfully than any of the o th ers; and I regard it as a delicate bird.”
Male.—Head black, glossed with blue; crest long; shafts bare four-fifths o f their length, tips blue. Neck, breast, and back blue
ash-colour separated from the head by a collar o f whitish, and finely mottled with black.. Primaries brownish black; secondaries
dark ash, mottled with black; tertials and wing-coverts dark ash, mottled and margined with black, this separated from the
ash-colour by a narrow line o f white; Middle o f back golden. Rump and tail-coverts black, with blue and green reflections,
and margined with deep velvety crimson. Flanks and underparts black, glossed with deep blue. Tail and long coverts
black, with blue and green reflections. Iris red. Bill hom-colour. Legs and feet red. Bare skin of . face rich crimson.
Female.—Top of head brown. Throat brownish white. Upper part o f back and breast light chestnut. Wings and rump black,
crossed with white bars, much mottled with black in their centres; primaries brownish black, crossed with whitish bars mottled
with black. Abdomen and flanks light chestnut; edges of the feathers margined with white. Two central tail-feathers black,
crossed with bars of buff with black mottlings; rest o f tail chestnut. Bill hom-colour. Feet and tarsi red. Bare skin o f the face
scarlet.
The figures are life-size.