which are also very big and fat, surpassing those which are in our country in bigness and numbers in a
company.”
Several fine skins o f both sexes were sent to this country by the late Captain Ince, R.N., of H.M.S.
“ Pilot ” ; and others have been transmitted to J . R. Reeves, Esq., of Clapham; all these specimens were
procured in the neighbourhood of Shanghai, where the species appears to be very common.
Although Gmelin probably first proposed the specific term for this bird, it was M. Temminck who pointed
out the differences which occur between it and the Common Pheasant, and stated that, in his opinion, the
Chinese bird is the one to which the term torquatus should be applied, his observations having satisfactorily
proved to him that it is quite distinct from the P. Colchicus. He remarks, that “ it is of much smaller size,
its length from the tip of the beak to the extremity o f the tail never exceeding two feet five inches, which is
six inches less than the total length of the Common Pheasant; the expanse of the wings is also less, and
the tail is much shorter in proportion to the size o f the body.” He further states, that the circumstance
of its breeding in a state of semi-domestication with the common species and producing fertile offspring
is no proof of the two birds not being specifically distinct. In this opinion I entirely concur, and, like
M. Temminck, also believe that in a state of nature such a union would never take place.
As this bird is likely hereafter to play no inconspicuous p art among the game-birds of the British Islands,
a word or two on this point may not be out of place here. If it could be kept quite pure, it would doubtless
prove a most interesting addition to our woods, since its plumage is variegated and beautiful, and its flesh
very delicate and high-flavoured ; the aptitude, however, o f the males to wander in search of fresh scenes
and other females renders this a matter of great difficulty. It is somewhat delicate in its constitution,
and consequently not so well adapted for our variable climate. When raised in cover, its flight is bold,
straight and arrow-like, mounting through the branches with great celerity, and often flying to a considerable
distance before it again enters the cover.
The eggs are of a pale olivaceous stone-colour, and considerably smaller than those of the Common
Pheasant, being one inch and eleven-sixteenths long by one inch and three-sixteenths broad.
I cannot conclude without recording my obligations to the Earl o f Craven for a very fine series o f Pheasants
from his Lordship’s preserves at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, an examination and comparison of which
with the true P . Colchicus and P . torquatus have greatly assisted in the elucidation of the subject.
The male has the forehead deep g re e n ; crown of the head fawn-colour, glossed with g ree n ; over each
eye a conspicuous streak of huffy white; the naked papillated skin o f the orbits and sides o f the face deep
scarlet or blood-red, interspersed beneath the eye with a series of very minute black feathers; horn-like tufts
on each side of the head, throat and neck rich deep shining green with violet reflexions; near the base of
the neck a conspicuous collar of shining white feathers, narrow before and behind, and broadly dilated on
the sides; the feathers of the back of the neck black, with a narrow mark o f white down the centre of
the basal portion, and a large lengthened mark of ochreous yellow within the edge o f each web near the t ip ;
the feathers of the back and scapularies black at the base, with a streak of white in the middle, then buff
surrounded with a distinct narrow band of black, to which succeeds an outer fringe of chestnut; feathers of
the back black, with numerous zigzag and crescentic marks o f bufly white; lower part of the back, rump
and upper tail-coverts light green of various shades, passing into bluish grey on the sides, below which is
a mark of rufous; breast-feathers indented a t the tip, of a rich reddish chestnut with purple reflexions,
and each bordered with b lack; flanks fine buff, with a large angular spot of beautiful violet a t the t ip ; centre
of the abdomen black, with violet reflexions; under tail-coverts reddish chestnut; wing-coverts silvery g r e y ;
wings brown; the primaries with light shafts, and crossed with narrow bars of light buff; the secondaries
similar, but the markings not so regular as in the p rimaries; tail-feathers olive, fringed with different shades
of reddish violet, and crossed at regular intervals with broad conspicuous black bands, passing into reddish
on the sides of the basal portion of the six central feathers ; bill yellowish horn-colour; irides yellow; feet
greyish white.
The female has the whole of the upper surface brownish black, with a margin of buff to every feathe r; the
throat whitish, and the central portion of the under surface fawn-colour; flanks m ottled with brown; tail buff,
barred with dark brown, between which are other interrupted bars of the same h u e ; these marks are broader
on the two gentral feathers than on the others, and moreover do not reach the edge on either side.
The Plate represents the bird nearly the size of life.