Catalogue of mammals and birds of Burma / by the late E. Blyth ; with a memoir, and portrait of the author.

  • Edward Blyth
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Catalogue of mammals and birds of Burma / by the late E. Blyth ; with a memoir, and portrait of the author. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    178/202 (page 148)
    Argus, fire-backed, and ocellated Pheasants of those islands are equally unknown in Java.”*1 Raffles must mean this species when he states that “ the common Ecacoclt is a native of the Malayan peninsula and of Java, and is also known to Sumatra.” He gives the Malayan name as M'ree or Marah, but in Sumatra he may only have seen tame Peafowl, imported from Java. The late Dr. Cantor had specimens in his collection from Pinang and Pro¬ vince Wellesley, but whether procured there in the wild state I am unaware ; it may be remarked, however, that the same collection contained specimens of Gallus varius, which is understood to be quite peculiar to Java. [The occurrence of this species in Burma offers a notable instance of the fact that Javan forms, unknown in the Malay peninsula south of Pinang, and in Sumatra and Borneo, reappear in Burma.] Subfam. Argusaninje. 526. A rgus a Xus giganteus. Phasianus argns, L. ; Elliot, Mon. Phas. pt. iii. pi. 2. Mergui, Malayan peninsula, Sumatra. *527. PoLYPLECTRON CHIXQUIS. Polyplectron chinquis, Temminck; Pavo tibetanus, L.; Gould, B. As. pt. xxiii. fig. 1; Elliot, Mon. Phas. pt. ii. pi. 8. Doung-Kula, Monuwur, and Day-o-da-huk. Sylhet, Assam, Tenasserim provinces; South-West China (Swinhoe). [The oldest name for this species is P. thibetanus, but as it involves a geographical error, Temminck’s title is adopted by most authors.] Subfam. Phasianinje (Pheasants). 528. Gallus ferrugixeus (J. 812). Tetrao ferrugineus, Gm.; Elliot, Mon. Phas. pt. ii. pi. 9. The wild common Fowl. Abundant in the forests, and the domestic poultry of the Karens is commonly recruited from the wild race, which is not (he case in those parts of northern and central India where the wild and tame inhabit the same forest districts. The cheek-lappet of the cock is pure white and contrasting in the Indian race, and red in the Indo-Chinese race. The tarsi are always slate-coloured in the wild bird, but tend to become yellow in the domestic before any other change is perceptible. [Tonghoo (IF. Ii.); Tenasserim (Z).).] * Malay Archipelago, i. p. 169.