On Female Pheasants assumiiig the Male Plumage. 30S 



has confined himself to the change of phimage solely, adding only 

 the fact that the ovarium was extremely small in all such birds as 

 had been dissected by himself or Vicq d'Azyr ; and since his 

 time no person has paid attention to the interesting physiological 

 phenomenon in question, which has only been barely mentioned 

 in a very few works on ornithology. Having lately had an op- 

 portunity of observing the change of plumage in female phea- 

 sants to a greater extent than has hitherto been done, I consider 

 my observations not without interest, as they will enable me to 

 shew that the transition in question, which Mauduit only saw 

 produced in a partial manner, may be effected in the most com- 

 plete. 



My observations were made upon females of the Silver Phea- 

 sant (Phasianus nycthemerus)^ the Collared Pheasant (Ph. tor- 

 quatus), and the Common Pheasant (Ph. colchicus). 



Change of plumage in the Commmi Pheasant. — A female 

 pheasant that had been reared in the phaisanderie of the mu-. 

 seum, ceased to lay at the age of five years, and the change of 

 plumage began to become apparent about the same period. It 

 manifested itself first upon the belly, which assumed a more yel- 

 low tint, and upon the neck, which became brighter in its co- 

 lours ; and soon after the whole body participated in the change. 

 The following year the feathers acquired still more of the lustre 

 and brilliancy of those of the male ; and in that state it might 

 with propriety be said, that the bird in question was like a male 

 with dull and tarnished plumage. In the third year after the 

 commencement of the change, it became almost impossible to dis- 

 tinguish it from a male, the resemblance was so great, although 

 still not altogether complete. 



Such was the state of the plumage of this female at the age 

 of eight years ; it ate well, and enjoyed good health, and there 

 was every reason to hope that next season would see it clothed 

 in the perfect plumage of the male, but an unexpected accident 

 deprived it of life. 



It had always lived, like the other hen pheasants, with the 

 males, but ever after its plumage began to change, it became an 

 object of indifference to them ; it neither sought nor avoided 



