volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Society; one by
John Hunter in the various editions of his Animal (Economy,
and one by myself, published in the Transactions of the
Royal Society for the year 1827. I have seen this disorganisation
and its “effects among birds in the Gold, Silver,
and Common Pheasants, in the Partridge, the Peafowl, the
Common Fowl, the Crowned Pigeon^ the Kingfisher, and
the Common Duck: in the ratter' species,, in two instances,
the change went on even to the assumption of the two curled
feathers above the tail. Other classes of animals are liable to
an influence similar in kind, and the effect is singularly conspicuous
among insects and Crustacea.
In the adult male the beak is of a. whitish horn colour,
rather darker at the base ; the eyes, surrounded with a naked
skin of a bright scarletrcolqur, speckled with a bluish black ;
the irides .h a z e lth e head, and the neck all round, steel blue,
reflecting brown, green, and purple, in different lights; ear-
qpverts dark brown ; feathers of the upper part of the back
ofange red,, tipped with.velvet black; back and scapulars
orange red, the centre of each, feather dark brown, with an
outer, band of straw yellow ; saddle’ hackle feathers, rump,
and upper tail-coverts, light brownish, re d ; wing-coverts. of
Wo shades of .red; quill-feathers dull greyish brown, varied
with pale- w-ood, brown ; tail-feathers very long; pale yellow
'brown, with narrow transverse black bars about one inch
apart; breast and belly golden red; each, feather margined
with velvet black, and reflecting tints of gold and purple;
lower part Of' the. belly, vent,, and under tail-coverts,
brownish black; legs, spurs, toes,; and claws;, brownish
lead. colour; the spurs become pointed and sharp after the
first year.
The whole length of a male Pheasant about three feet, depending
upon-the age of the bird, and the^Oonsequent length
of the two middle feathers of the tail, which frequently measure
two feet.:.. Wing from the carpal joint to tHe^end nearly
ten inches ; the wing in form rounded ; the fifth quill-feather
the longest.
The female measures- about, two feet... The general colour
of the plumage pale yellowish1 orbw|m? varied. by^ different
shades of darker brown ; sides of the neck tinged with red
and green. |
Young birds of the year, of both sexes; in their first plumage,
resemble the females.
Females assuming; the plumage of males may be known by
their partial want of brilliancy of tint ; the golden red feathers
on the breast generally want the contrast of the broad dark