Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.] [Regent's Park.
BLACK-CHESTED CRESTED GUINEA-FOWL.
This is a black bird, with light blue spots.
The Argus-pheasant and Peacock and their Allies.
The Argus-pheasant most certainly demands notice, on account of the extraordinary development of the wing-quills, which are nearly a yard long, and the wondrous beauty of the pattern thereon. This pattern takes the form of a number of eyes, so shaded as to give the appearance, when fully displayed, of a number of balls lying in a socket. These enormous quills are borne only by the male, and used, like the ornamental feathers of its allies, in captivating the female. When fully displayed, the two wings are spread out to form one huge fan, producing an effect which words cannot adequately describe. The argus-pheasants are found in the forests of Siam, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra, and are excessively wary birds.
The Peacock is too well known to need a very long description. But a word as to the so-called "tail." This magnificent wealth of plumes does not represent the tail, as is popularly supposed, but is made up of the feathers of the lower part of the back and the upper tail-coverts. These gradually increase in length from before-backwards, culminating in the long and exquisite feathers which form the circumference of the huge, outspread shield. This shield is properly called the "train"; the true tail lies behind it and acts as a support. When the bird is about to display, the "train" feathers are slowly and gently raised till the well-known fan-shaped glory of green and gold and blue is exposed to the fullest possible extent.
Photo by the Duchess of Bedford.
NEST OF BRUSH-TURKEY AT WOBURN ABBEY.
This is made by several birds, of decaying vegetable matter, in which the eggs are laid and left to hatch.