3 o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



The Golden and Amherst Pheasants. It seems a pity 

 that such a brilliant bird as the Golden Pheasant {Thaumalea 

 pictii) is not more frequently naturalised in British parks, so 

 bravely does it light up the sombre winter woodland. Two 

 reasons appear to have prevailed against its introduction where the 

 true Pheasant has been reared by hundreds or thousands. First, 

 there is an idea that the Golden Pheasant is not hardy in the 

 climate of these islands. Even the late Professor Newton pro- 

 nounced it " only fitted for the aviary " (Dictionary of Birds, p. 7 16). 

 But the species has been established in the woods here for five-and- 

 twenty years or so, thriving as vigorously and breeding as regularly 

 as the Common Pheasant. Golden Pheasants are of no use for 

 sport, as they never fly higher than a few feet from the ground, and 

 cannot be manoeuvred into "rocketers." Nevertheless we have to 

 kill a few every season to check their numbers. The plumage of 

 the cock-bird is as much appreciated by ladies for their hats as 

 by anglers for salmon-flies. The other cause that has inter- 

 fered to prevent Golden Pheasants finding favour with the 

 owners of woodland is the belief prevalent among gamekeepers 

 that they are pugnacious creatures, disturbing and driving 

 away the sacred longtails. No libel was ever more groundless. 

 The Golden Pheasant is most unwarlike, of a retiring dis- 

 position, wholly unable to spoil the digestion of Phasianus 

 colchicus or torqi/atus. It is otherwise, I am told, with the more 

 powerful Silver Pheasant (Euplocamus rycthemerus) ; but of this I 

 am unable to speak from observation further than this that at 

 Auchencruive in Ayrshire Silver Pheasants abounded in the woods 

 some years ago, and seemed to live on good terms with the true 

 Pheasants, whereof a goodly number were hand-reared annually. 

 Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Thaumalea amhersti) appears to be as 

 hardy as the Golden Pheasant ; at least there are, or were a few 

 years ago, plenty of them in the woods of Meikleour in Perthshire. 

 It is hard to decide which is the more beautiful the cock Golden 

 Pheasant displaying sunset hues, or the cock Amherst whose raiment 

 suggests moonrise. Unfortunately the two species may not inhabit 

 the same woodland ; not because they do not agree with each other ; 

 they agree only too well, intermarrying promiscuously, and produc- 

 ing a race of fertile hybrids which are invariably inferior in beauty 

 to both the pure species. It may be noted that no feeding of 

 Pheasants being permissible now, the Golden Pheasants may be 

 seen daily under yew trees, devouring the fallen berries, the kernels 

 of which are known to be very poisonous. Herbert Maxwell, 

 Monreith. 



