6S)4 On Female Pheasants assuming the Male Plumage. 



them itself, and thus became like one of themselves both in ap- 

 pearance and manners. 



At the time of its death it so resembled a male, that people 

 accustomed to see, and even to take charge of pheasants, were 

 deceived by its colours, and believed it to be a male. Never- 

 theless the plumage, as has been said, was not complete. 



Change of Plumage in the Silver Pheasant. — A female of 

 this species was brought up in company with a male, at the 

 country seat of an old friend of my family, M. Montand, a no- 

 tary at Paris ; but in its old age it was given to the museum. 

 It was eight or ten years old before it began to change its plu- 

 mage. Another remarkable circumstance is, that it had ceased 

 to lay, three or four years before the change began to become ap- 

 parent. In the other pheasant, on the contrary, the age was 

 only five years when the change commenced, and it continued to 

 lay up to this period. The transition to the male colours was 

 first announced by the appearance of white feathers among the 

 regular brownish ones. The following year the change was still 

 more decidedly marked ; but it was not until the third year that 

 it could truly be said to have taken place. The fourth year 

 the resemblance became complete ; the tail and the crest being 

 even elongated as much as they are seen to be in the males, and 

 at the same time appearing with more vivid colours. This is a 

 circumstance that ought to be taken notice of, as we see not on- 

 ly the colour of the feathers changing, but also their natural 

 proportions. The fifth year the resemblance was complete, and 

 the bird represented a male adorned with the most brilliant li- 

 very. 



The male was still living at the period when the change be- 

 gan to make its appearance, and had not become indifferent to 

 the female, no doubt because she was his only companion ; but 

 she, on the contrary, shunned him, appearing sometimes troubled 

 at his presence. However, the male happening to die, she ap- 

 peared to become dull in her solitariness, for which reason she 

 was immediately given to the Museum, where she was kept for 

 some time. But the infirmities of age announced the approach 

 of death, and from a desire to preserve the plumage in all its 

 beauty, it was determined to kill her, before it should fade. At 



