. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds. Birds; Birds. PHASIANIB^: PHEASANTS. 575 which the trachea is convoluted in an appendage to the furculum; Acryllimn vultwrina, Agelas- tes meleagrides, and Phasidus niger, are the r
. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds. Birds; Birds. PHASIANIB^: PHEASANTS. 575 which the trachea is convoluted in an appendage to the furculum; Acryllimn vultwrina, Agelas- tes meleagrides, and Phasidus niger, are the remaining ones. The PhasicmidcB, or Pheasants, are a magnificent family of typical Gallinm, of which the domestic fowl is a characteristic example. The feet, nasal fossae, and usually a part, if not the whole, of the head, are naked, and often comhed, homed, or wattled. The tarsi commonly develop spurs. The tail, with or without its coverts, sometimes has an extraordinary develop- ment or a remarkahle shape (p. 118). There are fifty or sixty species, distributed in numerous modern genera, about twelve of which are well marked; they are all indigenous to Asia and neighbor- ing islands, focusing in India. In the Peacock, Pavo cris- tattis, the tail-coverts form a superb train, capable of erection into a disk, the most gorgeous object in ornithology; in an allied genus, Poly- plectron, there are a pair of spurs on each leg. The Argus Pheasant, Argusa- nus giganteus, is dis- tinguished . by the . enormous develop- ment of the secon- dary quills, as well as by the length of the tail-feathers anil peculiarity of th' middle pair. Thi combed, wattled, and spurred bam - yard fowl, with folded tail and flowing middle feathers, are descend- ants of Gallus hanh- iva, type of a small genus. The Tragopans, Ceriornis, are an aUied form with few species; the Macartneys, Euphcomus, with a dozen species, are another near form, as are the Impeyans, Lophophorus, with a slender aigrette on the head,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1894
