Ornithological and Other Oddities 



may assume similar positions. Take, for ex- 

 ample, the gorgeous males of the gold and 

 Amherst pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus and C. 

 amhersticB). Here the male's most especial de- 

 coration is his moveable ruff, and this is ex- 

 panded and brought round to the side on which 

 he happens to find the hen. She will probably 

 run round to the other side, when her lord 

 promptly twists round his ruff, so that she 

 cannot escape from the sight of it. At the 

 time of display these ruffed pheasants also slant 

 themselves over like the common pheasant, and 

 this they also do when wishing to fight, the hens 

 as well as the cocks, although the former have 

 no ruff to display. 



Another specially adorned bird is the Mandarin 

 drake (/Ex galericulata), whose extravagant de- 

 corations and extraordinary contrasts of colour 

 seem almost incredible in a natural species. He 

 differs from all other ducks, even his near ally 

 the Summer or Carolina duck (s£x sfionsa), in 

 the chestnut hackles on his neck and the similarly 

 coloured fan-feather in the wings. Accordingly, 

 when showing off, he curves his neck back like 

 a fantail pigeon, and by slightly opening and 

 inclining his wings brings his fans into an up- 

 right position, at the same time lifting his bushy 

 crest as high as it will go. In this case, again, 

 the plainly coloured female often assumes much 



