6o2 THE MONGOLIAN PHEASANT. 



which passes fur an aria b_\' C'arusci with the gra\' hidv in the sage-ljox. La! 

 but it is absurd! Do you suppose — now ilu ymi suppose we e\-er make sucli 

 fools of ourselves? 



In nestiuy. the female hides from the cock, as is the case with most of 

 the grouse. A slight depression in the ground, barely or not at all lined with 

 twigs and sage-leaves, serves for a cradle, with a sage bush for a caiio]n-. The 

 eggs are hea\ilv colored, greenish gray or greenish drab as to ground with 

 sharp dots and rounded spcHs of reddish brown or chocolate. Eight to lifleen 

 is the number laid, but the smaller denominali(.)n represents the average size 

 of fall Hocks after the coyotes ha\e taken t(_ill. 



Sage is a thing accursed in the e}'es of all thrifty farmer folk, and he 

 whose ambition it is to cause two blades of grass to grow wdicre none grew 

 before, must needs abolish the wormwood. With it g<->es the Sage Grouse, 

 after the Turkey, the largest and most irreclaimable of the American Tetra- 

 onidte. Its days are numbered, and there is no use wasting sentiment in the 

 face of million dollar irrigation projects. Fare ye well, or fare ye ill, grav 



No. 238. 



MONGOLIAN PHEASANT. 



Introduced. Phasianus torquatus (iniel. 



Synonyms. — Rixc-xrcked Pheasant. Chinese Pheasant. Den'ny 

 Pheas.xnt. 



Description. — .Ichilt male: Sides of head largely bare, with livid skin; top 

 of head light greenish ; short plumicorns dark green ; throat and neck all around 

 black, with rich metallic reflections ; a ivhitc cervical collar nearly meeting in front ; 

 fore-neck and breast, well down, shining copper)- red with golden and purplish 

 reflections ; sides rich fulvous with black spots ; belly mostly blackish ; above with 

 indescribable intricacy of marking, — black, white, co]i|ier, fulvous, pale blue, virid- 

 ian green, glaucous green, etc., etc. ( w-e are not morally responsible for the color- 

 ing of this marvelous exotic) ; tail much lengthened, mostly greenish fulvous, 

 edged with hcliotrope-])urple and cross-banded with l)Iack. Adult female: Much 

 plainer, mostly brownish and without white collar; the upperparts more or less 

 spotted and mottled with dusky; the underparts nearly plain buft'y brown; the 

 tail-feathers barred for their entire length, dusky and whitish on a mottled brown- 

 ish ground. Adult male length 30.00 (762) or more, of which more than 16.00 

 ("406.4) is tail. 



Recognition Marks. — v'^ize of domestic fowl. Long tail and white collar 

 distinctive. 



Nesting. — Sest: on the ground of ilried leaves, grasses, etc., usually in grass 

 tussock or under bush. Eggs: 8-15, yellowish, olive-drab, or bluish buft". .\v. 

 size, 1. 61 X i.,v (40.() X 33.3). Season: April-July; two or three broods. 



