P H A S I A N U S S OE M M E R E I N G I I .
south o f Simoda, covered by small pines and a very thick growth o f shrubbery, a Pheasant (so we wepe assured by the Japanese)!
passed the weary hours/ while his mate was on her nCst, and very sensibly solaced himself and her vyith such music as he was
capable of making. It was, however, any thing but melodious, and may be represented as a sort of compound of the filing of a
saw and the screech o f a Peacock. There are two notes only, uttered in .quick succession, and represented by the Japanese
name of the bird—Ki-ji-, but the second note is much longer, louder, and more discordant; iu fact has more, o f the saw-filing
character Kee-jaeae. These two notes are uttered; and if the bird is not disturbed, they are repeated in about.five minutes. A
good many attempts, perhaps twenty, to become better acquainted with this individual all failed; it seemed impossible to make
him fly, though his covert was by no means extensive;
“ This is about all I saw or heard of these birds during a stay of more than two|rnj?nths a t Simoda (from April 17th to June
24th, 1854), and I much regret that it is not in my power to give a more satisfactory account of them.” '
I have included Mr. Gould’s P . scintillons among the synonyms o f the present species, not having yet been able to satisfy myself
that it is more than a local race of /*. scemtnervingii. As numerous living examples have been received in England and elsewhere,
better opportunities will be given us to ascertain i f | |9 is constant in its differences; and alsp if the young present any changes,
either in colour or markings, from those of the present species, as is observable among those o f some other closely allied forms, of
which I.: may mention the Black-throated Golden P h e a s a n ^ h o s e young are appreciably different from t h o s é f l P.p icto , even in their
earliest stage o f existence.
I have not adopted Reichenbach’s term o f Graphophasianus as a generic distinction ; for we can hardly deem the présent species entitled to
such a separate rank, although it may properly be classed in a subgeneric division under Reichenbach’s appellation. Mr. Reginald Russell,
then attached to the British Embassy in Japan, succeeded in 1864 in bringing alive to England fourteen birds of this species ; ahptwo
pairs were then purchased by the Zoological Society. The’males, however, are wild in captivity ; and from this cause it is difficult to breed
the species; and although a t times some young have been hatched, yet thus far it has not been reproduced in any number.
Mr. À. D. Bartlett, the Superintendent of the Gardens of the Zoological Society in Regent’s Park, in a communication kindly sent to me
concerning the breeding o f Pheasants and care o f the chicks (which I shall introduce into this work at various times under the proper
head), makes the following remarks :—
“ Among the Phasianidoe some species are remarkable for ïhèir pugnacious and fierce d isp o s itifs ; not only thp males, but frequently
the females destroy each other. The want of sufficient space and means of escape among bushes, shrubs, or trees is no doubt the cause
of many females being killed when kept in confinement ; and this serious misfortune is unhappily of no' rare occurrence. After the cost
and trouble in obtaining pairs o f these beautiful birds, and they have recovered from their long confinement On the voyage, their owner is
desirous o f reaping a reward by obtaining an abundant supply of eggs as the birds approach the breeding-season,— when, alas ! lié finds that
some disturbance has occurred, the place is filled with feathers, and the female bird, from which he expected so much, is found dead or
dying—her head scalped, her eyes picked out, or some other equally serious injury inflicted. I have found some species more inclined to
this cruel practice than others, the worst, according to my experience, being the P . soemmerringii.”
This is a sad account of such a beautiful bird; but doubtless this evil habit could be corrected and, in a, measure, done away with, by
affording suitable retreats for the hens by planting thick clumps of bushes in their enclosure, into which they could retreat and escape the
fury o f their lords.
The species may be described as follows:—
Male.—Upper parts rich coppery re d ; the feathers of the back black a t their bases, this colour terminating in two points about
two-thirds the length of the shaft; the edges of both webs golden yellow, highly metallic;; tip crimson, producing, in a strong light, the
most brilliant effect. Upper tail-coverts with the same markings, but, the feathers being larger, the brilliancy is greater. The feathers of
the wings are of a similar pattern, but without any metallic lustre, and the edges and tips are brownish re d ; the secondaries have the
tips and edges chestnut, slightly rhottled with black ; the primaries have the webs dark brown, mottled with yellowish brown. Upper
part of breast coppery red ; under parts lighter, with the black of the feathers visible, making the breast appear spotted. Under tail-
coverts black ; a line of dark chestnut on each side of the shaft. Middle tail-feathers very long, dark chestnut, with from six to eight
narrow bars of black, about one inch and a half apart, with, a spot underneath the bar on thé outer edge of the inner web whitish, spotted
with brown. Bare skin around the eye rich velvety red. Bill horn-colour. Feet and tarsi lead-colour. Spurs short, horn-colour.
Female.—Top of head and occiput black, each feather tipped with rufous. A broad line o f light rufous extends from the bill, over each
eye, to the chin; throat, cheeks, and upper part of the neck in front yellowish white, the feathers tipped with black. Neck and upper
part o f the back chestnut, spotted with black ; shaft white, with a line o f yellowish red on each side for its-entire length. Back thickly
mottled with black and buff, the centre of the feathers black. Primaries brown, with five or six bars of buff on the webs. Secondaries
Chestnut, thickly marked with blacks and tipped with white. Upper tail-coverts extending one-half the length of the tail, like the back,
the black in the centre broader, the edges whitish. Upper part of breast light red, spotted with black ; the flanks the same colour, but the
black spots larger and more conspicuous. Abdomen and under tail-coverts yellowish white ; the base of the feathers buff1, spotted with
black, with a black A-shaped bar dividing the white tip from the chestnut of the lower portion ; the centre feathers are lighter and more
profusely mottled with black. Naked skin; around the eye crimson. Bill dark brown on the upper mandiblé, lighter a t the tip. Under
mandible horn-colour. Tarsi and feet flesh colour.
The figures are life-size.