P H A S I A N U S V E R S I C O L O R .
•me several questions, which. I was not, of course, able to understand; but from his signs, and the frequent repetition of the word
statzoo (two), I inferred that lie inquired whether I had fired twice in such quick succession with o n e 'g u n . I nodded, and
explained to him as well as 1 could the nature o f my double-barrelled gun and tire use o f percussion-caps, which seemed to
astonish and delight him very much. A pipe ^ to b a c c o which I offered was glddiy accepted? and in answer to a question that he
appeared to understand, he gave me the name of the pheasant as Ki-zhi. Later in the -day more, people -came <to the hills,
some for the purpose of digging roots, others to look after their cattle, which appeared to be turned out to graze 'on* the hills!
The birds had taken to the bushes, where I could not follow them, and so obtained no mòre specimens ,on that occasion.
“ A few days after, Lieutenants Bent and Nicholson and myself m ade another, .shooting-pxpursion to the hills ; but fijlhough we
saw many Pheasants, but a single specimen was shot, and the birds appeared to be very shy. We observed several Japanese,
with matchlocks about the hills, firing away a t a great rate. As we did not see either o f thèm with game, and. as the game-
laws of Japan are very severe .(so much sp, indeed, that their observance has been made a special article of the treaty with J | | !
United States), I concluded .that the firing was only for the purpose o f driving away .the Pheasants to places where they would
be more secure from the strangers.”
The three species of Pheasants which have been generally introduced into, preserves in England and on the continent, viz.
P. colchtcus, P . versicolor, and P . torquatm, readily breed together, until indeed, unless they have carefully been kept separate, it is
exceedingly difficult to find one which is free from the admixture o f foreign strain. This is to be regretted, as it in no way
improves the bird, and . gives rise to a race of mongrels of no particular value in themselves, nor interesting in’ a scientific point
of view. Beside, neither do I think, as is supposed by spine, that their beauty is increased thereby ; for nature is the best
painter, and man, however ingenious and skilful he maybe, is totally incompetent to improve her handiwork by any subterfuges
or resources which he may have a t his command. It would be far better, I feel assured, for the proprietor as well as for
the birds themselves, that 'the blood should be kept as pure as possibl|g§§ll precautions being taken to prevent the introduction of
a foreign strain; for we know .that, although even in the wild state all gallinaceous birds are extremely liable to hybridization,
yet the crosses never continue their peculiar characteristics when any pure-blooded bird has access to them.. Indeed nature
interposes to prevent, tins by causing these hybrids to revert again within a few generations to the similitude of the stock from
which they originally sprung. No species of true Pheasant excels the P . versicolor in the beauty of its plumage: the green breast,
changeable in some lights, becomes most brilliant in the adult bird, while the scarlet face, dotted with minute black spots, show¡
to great advantage upon the blue background o f the neck. Although the male is so different i n f i k f c dress, the ’ female
resembles very closely the hen o f P . colcliicus, so much so, in fact,, th a t the majority, of persons would with difficulty perceive
the difference between them.
The male has the^jOT of head fegggv '4 " >tufts slll” i"S green ; throat and neck blue, with »greemSh,reflections ¡e n tir e nnderparts
green, with purple reflections upon the neck and breast. Feathers of the back and scapulars have their centres Hack, with two
b"* lnlos equidistant from each other; the margins chestnut; shoulders bluish grey. Primaries brown on the inner web outer
greyish, and irregularly barred with whitish; secondaries .chestnut, with a broad mark o f buff in the centre, this mark mottled
with black mw the upper web. Rump Ciini|jiii|iper -.ail-covert» bluish -grcv. - Abdomen in centre, and ..highs, dark -brown. Tail
greenish grey, .d p c e n t r a l .feathers barred with black, r e g a l a r ^ tin; base, but biicpuiing alternate itbwards the tip ; edges of the
feathers purple S E | | black bars are f i l l e r on th e , lateral-lfeath^s, and absent from the..,inter ones. Baked portions: of face
crimson, dotted with minute black feathers. .Bill and feet , greenish..
The female has upper part o f head blackish brown, margined with light brown. Space around the eye, and chin, whitish. Earcoverts
reddish brown; neck k pped with blackish brown tjtt-mtle black each feathhr margined Sftjjgig,¿« S í
and with a green metallic spot near the tip. Margin of rump-feathers reddish brown. Wings brownish black in the centre of
the feathers, with broad margins o f yellowish brown ; secondaries rufous jgÉ outer webs, mottled with black ; primaries reddish
brown, crossed with irregular bars of, light red. Breast and underparts light rùfous brown, with a green shade in certain
.lights, with blackish-bronm bars crossing the feathers a t intervals. Tail rufous brown,, crossed with, burs of blackish brown; the
edges greyish brown, finely dotted with dark brown. Bill horn-colour;’ feet and legs flesh-colour.
The male is represented the size of life; the female slightly reduced.