PH A S ÏA N U S VEF^SICOLOF^.
fHÂS IANU S VERSICOLOR.
^ 1 tPA.YESfi I’ ll K ASA NT.
PHASIANUS VERSICOLOR, Temm. Plan. Color.- 486 & 493;—VieiU. Gali Ois. pi. 205.—Less. Trait. Om. (1831) p. 496. no. 7.—Gould, B. of
Asia, pt. 9. pi. 1 — Sclat. Proc. Zool. SocJ(1863) p. 116. Ap. 4—Gray, List, of Gal.- (1867) p; 28.—Cass. Perry’s Exped. Japan (1856),
vol. l |p . 224.—Sclat. Wolfs Zool. Sketch. (I861)xlst ser. pi. 38.—Gray, Gen. of B. (1845) voL-iii; p. 497.
P. DIARDI, Temm. Plan; Col'. toI. v. text of P. versicolor.-
I I ab. S im o d a ( H e in e ) ,.^ ' -
C om pa ra t iv e ly but lately introduced to ornithologists, yet, from the rapidity of its reproduction, few species of Pheasants are more
generally known at the present time than the one now under considération. It is a native of Japah, and has not been discovered
a s an inhabitant of any other country. About thirty years ago, living examples ;4were ' brought to Holland,' and the Earl o f Derby
purchased a pair. The female died; but by crossing the male with à hen o f' colc/ii'cusl and the offspring again by the same male,
almost a pure breed was obtained; a t all events it was impossible to Separate them ffôm: th e Japanese birds; and it is from these,
I believé, that the great majority of this kind of Pheasant, nowf'iSïi numerous in the British Isles, were procured.
In the Government publication of Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan, the- following account of this Pheasant is given by
Mr. Cassin, as related by Mr. Heine, the artist attached -tb the command :—
“ After the treaty of Yokohama had been concluded, the Ünited States sqiiadron proceeded' to Simoda. A friendly intercourse
with the natives was established; and I constantly availed myself of Commodore Perry’s kind permission to make additions to our
collection in natural history.
“ One morning, a t dawn of day, I shouldered my gun and landed in search of specimens o f biràs, and; ihat' day, had the good
fortune for th e first time to see the Pheasant now - before us.
“ The province Idza, a t the southern extremity of which the port o f Simoda is situated, forms a long neck of land extendiri«-
from the island of Niphon in a southerly direction, and is -throughout ' mountainous, being from 4000 to 5000 feet high. The
valleys are highly cultivated, presenting-in the spring a-- 'tiMfeÚ luxurious landscape. The tops of the mountains and hills are in
some- places composed of barren rocks, and in others covered with grass and shrubs, producing an abundance of small berries.
Between those higher regions and the fields below, the slopes are cpvered with woods, having for th e greater part such thick
undergrowth that it is scarcely , possible to penetrate them.
“ Following the beautiful valley, At the outlet o f which the town of Simoda stands, for about four miles, I came to a place
where the Simoda creek divides into two branches. Selecting the eastern ^branch, I ' soon left fields and houses behind me; and
ascending though a little gully, I emerged from the woods into the barren region. It was yet early in the morning ; clouds enveloped
the peaks and tops o f the hills, the fields and woods were ■ silent, and -the distant sound o f the surf from the seashore far below
rather-increased than lessened the impression of deep solitude made upon me by the strange scenery around.
“ The walk and ascent had fatigued me somewhat; I had laid down my g.uii and gamç-hag, and was just stooping to drink
from a little spring that trickled from a rock, when, not ten- yards from me, a large Pheasant rose, with a loud rustling noise;
and before 1 had recovered my gun he had disappeared over the brow of a hill. I felt somewhat ashamed for allowing mysèlf thus
to be-taken so completely aback ; but- noticing the direction- in which he had gone, I proceeded moré carefully-in pursuit. A
small stretch of tableland, which I soon reached, was covered with short grass and some little clusters o f shrubs, with scattered
fragments of rocks; and as I heard a note, which I took to be the crowing of a cock Pheasant at a short distance, I availed
myself of the excellent cover, and, crawling cautiously on my hands and kneés, I succeeded in approaching him within about fifteen
yards. Having the advantage of th e wind and a foggy atmosphere, and being moreover concealed by the rocks and some shrubs, I
could indulge in quietly observing him and his family. On;-a small sandy patch was an adiilt cock and three, hens busily engaged
in taking their breakfast, which consisted of the berries already mentioned growing hereabouts in abundance. From time to time the
lord of this little family stopped in his repast and crowed his shrill war-cry, which was answered by a rival on another hill at some
distance. At other moments again, when the sun broke forth for a short time, all stretched themselves in the golden rays and,
rolling in the sand, shook the morning dew from their fine plumage. It was a beautiful sig h t; and I looked upon it with exceeding
pleasure—só much, indeed, that I could not find the heart to destroy this little scene of domestic happiness by a leaden shower
from my fowling-piece. Suddenly the birds showed signs of uneasiness ; and I soon discovered the cause in a Japanese rootdigger
coming from the .opposite direction. I. therefore took up my gun, and standing on my feet raised the birds also ; and as
they flew towards the next hill, I had the good fortune to bring down the cock with one barrel of my gun, and one of the hens
with the other.
“ The Japanese, who came up after I had loaded my gun and secured my game, looked with some astonishment at the stranger;
for I was certainly the first foreigner who had been in pursuit o f game on the hunting-grounds of Niphon. He evidently asked