P H A S I A N T I S B E E V E S T I .
confines of Szechucn, and north of Hankorv to wrthin 100 miles o f Peking, whence eastwards, a t a place called Tungling, Pére David
records having obtained t |é ||» jT h e y appear to have a omewhatTexten i v e f | ¡ p g H There would appear to be in to le rab ly - well-
■marked variety of this species w§¡ñh)fe® f c i ih brought to Europe, t u t where jjjn variety has beenfebtarneTi * V* l yet
heard. From its appearance, I believe it fo hc west and north-West: o f Hankow,,. F ' h S esamined spécirhens H the vrrtiety
mentioned by Mr. Swinhge, - but do not find sufficient ..differences'to justify § g - in separating I t specifically from the P . B e a m i.
It is apparently a somewhat m u g r bird, with little, if any.újgre skm 'around t l # 3 p ! and the c e n tia T S tlíe n P ó f the tail aré
somewhat broader and j p i e more white upon them. The plumage ‘of th e 'b f ly . i s ® S r . . ih i .h u X | , h . 'present speri’es.'
If, before this, work is concluded,.I should have g p j l p a l t e r m y t p r e s e n ^ ^ ^ S h - v S g i v e a % u re o f t h é S i d ? * '" /
The young of this speaes is5“.very hardy, and-roared w i |s d t difficult,, is no,reas'on i h y it easily .become
naturalised, in Europe, where ¡»w o u ld engird as miiih; spoij'iin the pres'erves a s | tM , f ! the Pheasants w h i¿ h f c ¿ e .as yet been
.introduced. Pére David states that Beeves’s Pheásant ,is found, but, not abundantly, , V two o r three ¡jqcalities of 'our.p ro v in c e
where the Biota abounds, of > h o se fruit i t | | | v e ry ® S l t seems more-l common? m the provinces of the southwest and towards
the south o f the Yangtsze Kiang.
“ The Chinese,” says Dr. Bennett, not y § | | | this | | , as w a s R f i r s t supposed, which g g l l a v e caused .Temml l l f c
bestow upon, i t i.^ e ngmé pf veneratas', but it :isS |e ls titiija s ly -b e lie v e d t h a tW l B B o f this bird is. possessed V * ' I
properties, and thíl» the mandaras, when in expectation of l o s i S their rank and being suddenly put to death b y l B f o f the .
Emperor, preserve some of it j f f i a> handkerchief m a dried J g s í é ^ H sucking f á S f t é y fall down and ii.vi... iJ g j i r t W I
Male—Top of head and n e< || and sp^t beneath thl^eyé* pure white Front and band through 't h e - e f o t o i f ‘occiput and
collar on the lower p u t o f the neck, black Back and upper part of breast p ® yellow, each feather-» ¿a rgined withi 4 a * -
Feathers' of lower part of b^ast* and fianhs white, triangularly', barred with h lá c k S& m ín a i portion chestnut, divided from the
w h i t e « a hue of black. Abdomen and thighs black, under tad-eoverts-bmrbroadly,:mahgiued with golden yellow. Feathers
of the wings margined and barred- with «Hack; large portion of thsHcentres - ^ l t c ^ P rim a rie sS& k l brown, barred with buff on
the outer .ivehsV secondarifes buff on the outer webs near the tips. Tail white? barred with black. ¡88 bars having a central
hue of chestnut on their outer, half. O u t c r ^ b j i o f first three la te r a lS lf e a tb e r s « d eM kM w ith o u t bar I H l i i f W ' : i '
barred like the t a jM Bare skin o f the face red. Bill pale green. Feet and tarsi lead-colour.-
Female.— Grown o f head, line below the eye, and occiput rufous brown, mottled with black. Rest of head and neck- deep
huff. Back chestnut; feathers tipped with b h t c l i * ||j g .w B g e spot in ith e centre. Best of upper parts black, mottled with
rufous,. some;,feathers dark buff on the : outer webs. Upper tail-coverte rufous brown, mottled-with black. Primaries blackish
brown, barred yviffl riifous. Wingsr black,“ .barred with g f t X vvith black motthngl and a central streak of buff Upper part;h£
breast like the back; b u t ? ,« c h e s tn u t i | | g f e , and the triangular wfote.spots near the tips-more regular in shape Flanks palé
chestnut, broadly Upped with white. Abdomen white » U n d e r tail-covérts deep buff, fiunlly barred -with * m . Central tail
feathers much shorter than those -9f the male light b ^ u ? mottled w i tK f f ik and mdi hnctly barred with white with Hack '
mottling!. Four outer tail-feathers chestnut lipped witli white, partly barred with the same on the basal half oT the inner web •
the hirs surrounded withvlbjack Rest o f feathers chestnut barred w,th white, separated from the chestnut by blackilind some
black spots on the white bars. Bill liorn-colóur. ' Feet and tarsi lead-colour.
The chicks, in the downy state? have the head rufous, with a central streak on the top of dark brown, and a mark behind .the eye
Hack ; back Brown,^OTtwo broad'lines of yellowish white runningvthe enUnflength on g fflM d e . Underparts white ¿ | 3 | ¡ S c 3 v n ‘