PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



separately, they are grey below, brown in the middle, with a 

 broad stripe down the centre, and on either side, chestnut- 

 brown. Both primaries and secondaries are dark brown. 

 The tail feathers are chestnut, and have dark or black trans- 

 verse stripes about a couple of inches apart. The interven- 

 ing areas between the bands are of a somewhat lighter tint 

 than the general chestnut colour of the body. 



The female has the feathers on the head and upper surface 

 mottled with chestnut. The rump and the tail coverts are of 

 a dull chestnut, barred with brown, whilst the wing coverts 

 are tipped with black and white. Throat, buff, and the 

 feathers on the under surface of the body, brown, tipped with 

 light buff, inclined, on either side, to be tawny. 



Soemmerring's Pheasant, although suitable for aviaries, 

 cannot be regarded as a species that is ever very likely 

 to become popular amongst British game-preservers, there 

 being many other Pheasants vastly superior for such 

 purposes. 



Considering the importance of the Soemmerring Pheasant, 

 the author thinks that it is advisable to supplement his 

 remarks by the following notes, which are extracted from 

 Grant's Hand-Book of Game Birds : — 



"Adult Male. — The general colour above chestnut or 

 brownish-chestnut, the margins of the feathers of the upper 

 parts and chest glossed with purplish-carmine, changing to 

 fiery gold. The basal part of the feathers, black, most con- 

 spicuous on the wing coverts. The breast and rest of the 

 under parts and tail feathers, chestnut, the long middle pair 

 with white narrow black bars, dividing the lighter from the 

 darker chestnut, and the outer pairs widely tipped with black. 

 Total length, 50 inches ; wing, 8.8 ; tail, t,']. 



" Adult Female. — Crown of the head, blackish, each feather 



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